Dark On Fire
by poppiesinoctober
Summary: The Dark Lord is back, the Wizarding community is on edge and Adira can't seem to figure out what's going on with Draco Malfoy. Join Adira for her 6th year as she tries to navigate Hogwarts without running into too much trouble. Easier said than done.
1. Pleasantries and Charlatans

Well hello hello! This is the sequel to Valley Of Your Heart. It's been a while my friends and I must apologize. I must also apologize because its been over a year since I finished VOYH and I told ya'll that I wouldn't post the new story until I can post the chapters systematically...well I've only written 4 Chapters but I promise you I'm getting back into it. In honor of it being the month of October and Friday the Thirteenth is approaching, I've decided to post the first chapter of Dark On Fire. I hope you enjoy! Just some warnings now:

 **This story will contain underaged drinking, sexual themes and themes of abuse. This story will explore our Slytherin team growing up and forced into uncomfortable situations that kids their age shouldn't have to deal with as you all know from reading Queen J.K. Rowling's novels she touches on this anyway (Bless her for the HP Universe, also nothing I write here except for my own characters belong to me; I gotta give credit where it is due).**

Other than that! Happy Reading! Review to your hearts content I'll try my best to reply as I am currently back in school getting a Masters in Law! I would also like to apologize if you have read VOYH and the grammar and plot seem a bit iffy, I had written that story ages ago when I was just starting off in creative writing so hopefully DOF meets your expectations. xxx S

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Chapter 1

The cold burn accompanied by the finest chilled Russian vodka sliding down Adira's throat warmed her stomach, a pleasant numbness encompassing her. The black tailored cocktail dress hugged her body too snuggly, making her feel trapped and uncomfortable; the chic black ankle strap heels she wore hurt her toes. The young witch stared blankly at her reflection in the window, dark clouds swirling ominously, hiding the setting sun; she couldn't help but wonder how it all turned to shit. Tucking her thick brown locks behind her ear, Adira reached for the bottle once more, preparing herself another shot.

"I hope you don't intend on drinking by yourself." Adira smirked, pouring one more for Clara who stood at the doorway to the billiards room with her thin arms crossed, a white mink stole delicately hung off her shoulders, emphasizing the paleness of her skin. The pastel pink dress she wore was long and rather girly for Adira's taste and yet Clara managed to pull it off without looking like a child.

The two young women clinked their glasses together before knocking their shots back, a slight grimace on Clara's face. "God, I don't know how you like this stuff." Clara coughed, quickly reaching for an assortment of juice laid out on the bar table. Adira merely shrugged her shoulders, enjoying how everything seemed just a little bit fuzzier than they had ten minutes before. She hummed in content, "You get used to it Clara."

"And you're beginning to sound like an alcoholic," Clara mused and poured herself a glass of elf-made wine, "Who else is coming?" she asked sitting upon the dark red settee, her stole thrown along a matching red arm chair.

Adira scowled, her amber eyes glaring hard at the wide window, lights flickering in the distance, no doubt her father had ordered the pathway up to their manor be lit so all could see its magnificence; Daniel did like to gloat about his pretty and expensive things. With a sigh Adira sat down next to Clara, her own abandoned wine glass from earlier in the evening in hand, "Whoever my father invited I suppose. You know he does all of this for show, he's no doubt invited the entire pureblood community, well, only the ones he thinks count."

Clara rolled her blue eyes, the dark liner around them making them stand out, "Merlin, don't tell me Pansy and her lot are coming."

As if summoned by the thought, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Tracy Davis walked in, Pansy ahead of the two other girls as if she were their leader. All three girls dressed up like their closets exploded, "Talking about me?" Pansy asked, arrogantly flipping her mousy brown hair over her shoulder, it appeared she had grown it out of the hideous bob; not that it really made a difference on her. Clara snorted, "You wish Pansy."

Adira ignored the new arrivals, taking a long sip from her glass and wishing this night would just end. It was absolutely preposterous that her father was throwing this end of summer party; not only did she not want to associate with any supporters of the Dark Lord, but it was also rumored that _he_ would be making an appearance too. The very thought made Adira want to hurl. After a few minutes of Clara and Pansy exchanging insults Adira finally stepped in, "The bar is fully stocked, help yourselves, get plastered I really don't care."

Pansy and her friends made a beeline to the liquor, Clara and Adira rolling their eyes at their eagerness to drink, "Try not to get sick all over the carpet, it was imported from Egypt and it's worth more than your life." Adira called out coldly, sitting down next to Clara who had a wicked smirk on her face. Pansy wouldn't dare say anything rude to Adira, given the current status of her father; it would be unwise to be disrespectful, especially in the Reed Manor. A few moments later Blaise and Theo arrived, looking dapper in their suits, Adira noticed how Clara's cheeks turned pink at the sight of them. Adira had a feeling that Clara's mild interest in Theo from last year had evolved into a crush on Blaise, but neither of them had delved into the relationship conversation in quite some time.

Blaise greeted Adira enthusiastically, they hadn't seen each other since the beginning of summer, in fact, Adira really hadn't seen anyone except Clara, not even Draco. "Oi, does anyone know where Malfoy is?" Theo asked, pouring the group a round of fire whiskey shots; Adira's stomach clenched at even the thought of him being in her home.

Pansy interjected immediately, "He said he had some things to take care of before coming tonight, wouldn't say what." The room was tense and incredibly silent, it was no question that no one knew what was going on between Draco and Adira; except for Clara of course and even she didn't know the full details of what had happened after school ended. With Pansy having more knowledge of Draco's whereabouts than Adira meant that something bad happened between them. Adira and Draco were inseparable after they made up the last day of school. Adira quickly consumed the whiskey, catching Clara's concerned eyes before reaching for the bottle of wine; if she was going to survive this night, she needed to be heavily intoxicated.

Adira knew she also needed to pace herself, especially if she wanted to look presentable for dinner; her father would be furious if she showed up hammered and embarrassed him. Unabashedly Adira laughed, breaking the silence with the bottle in hand, "Who cares, just drink." With a collected hum of approval the awkward tension evaporated and the party really began. Some how someone figured out how to get music going and the elite Slytherin's began to socialize, a few more bodies joined them from other schools around Europe, some the group hadn't seen since they were children and others close family friends. Adira switched her wine with water, ensuring she wouldn't go overboard before joining the adults for supper. Her mother had instructed her to keep everyone happy and entertained in the billiards room and to stay out of the way until called upon; Adira was happy to oblige.

Her back was turned when the doors opened again but she was too drunk to care at that point who or what walked through that door. Her body was swaying to the music while Clara and Blaise amiably chatted and Theo was trying to engage a group of lads in philosophical musings. A strong warm hand crept around Adira's waist, hot lips were at her neck and though no one was saying anything, she knew her peers were shocked.

Maximus Avery was a seventh year at Hogwarts and a heart stopper. With tousled dark hair and warm azure eyes, girls had thrown themselves at him since his third year and some how, here he was with Adira Reed in his arms and _not_ Draco Malfoy who was conveniently standing still at the entrance of the room. Maximus stood behind her, the dark grey fitted designer suit hugging his body deliciously, any girl would have swooned; Adira could have sworn she saw Millicent and Tracy's jaw drop.

"Hello darling," he murmured against her skin, "Having fun without me? I thought I told you to wait." The tone in his voice was borderline scolding and yet his face was relaxed, his posture slack. Adira sighed, her back pressed firmly against his chest, ignoring the faint tingle she felt at the back of her head that warned her something wasn't right, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Maximus spun her around and kissed her firmly, it made Adira feel like it was more for show than actual desire but she gave in to him without complaint; she didn't feel like fighting with him today. Someone cleared their throat rather loudly, Maximus merely smirked into the kiss before pulling away from the beautiful brunette, "Well don't just stand there Malfoy, grab a drink, let the adults finish their business."

She felt like a thousand needles had pierced her heart, like the world had flipped upside down and she was falling, Maximus had to have known the entire time that Draco was there, he did that on purpose and it made Adira feel like she wanted to scream in frustration. She felt like she had been used like a pawn in some one else's game and she wanted to cry. The alcohol had made her emotional, she thought to herself, she had to pull it together. Breathing in deeply she composed herself whilst in Maximus's arms and peered over his broad shoulders.

He was dressed in all black, just as she was, his platinum hair striking, eyes sharp and alert and yet he was still so handsome. To Adira it seemed like he had aged so much, he looked more like a man than he did last year, but there was a cold air about him. His beautiful grey eyes were hard and guarded; his face was set in almost a snarl, his posture stiff as he walked into the room with confident strides. Adira wondered if he felt anything seeing her in the arms of another, did he feel angry that it wasn't him? Or perhaps he truly had stopped caring about Adira and wanted nothing to do with her anymore. The mere idea broke her heart into a thousand pieces that she knew she would never be able to pick up and put back together again.

She watched as he made his way towards Pansy who was giggling obnoxiously and handed him a tumbler of chilled fire whiskey, his favorite. Adira suddenly felt hot, like she would combust where she stood, the party continued as if nothing happened, like it was normal for Adira and Draco to ignore each other, for Pansy to be the one Draco gave his attention to.

Maximus possessively kept his arm around Adira, she noticed how he kept Draco in his peripherals at all time, the young witch felt like if she even dared look in Draco's direction Maximus would cause a scene. When they were finally summoned for supper, Draco made a point of offering his arm to Pansy who looked like she had won a million galleons; triumphantly she took it, smugly looking back at Adira as they exited the room. Adira had never been one to even think about using an unforgivable curse on another person, however in that moment she couldn't help but imagine using one on Pansy.

The Reed Manor had three dining rooms, one for casual use which was closest to the kitchen, the second for entertaining a handful of guests in a more intimate setting near the comfortable sitting room, and the third used for the more extravagant parties near the foyer which was often used as a ballroom when Lillian used to invite the crème de le crème of the wizarding world; no matter what their political affiliations were or their blood status. The room felt cold as everyone took their seats, the dark mahogany table looked almost black in the dim lighting of the room, tall thick curtains drawn back to show the impressive land the Reed property was built on lit by a tiny sliver of the moon peeking through dark clouds. Maximus took his place next to Adira, his hand immediately creeping up her leg, pushing the fabric of her dress up. Instead of making her flustered like when Draco constantly had his hands on her, she felt numb.

Daniel Reed sat at one end of the table, Lillian next to him looking superbly elegant and as more of his guests filtered in to the room to sit down, Adira couldn't help but notice that there was one seat left empty at the head of the table. Rising up with a glass of wine in his hand, Daniel adjusted his paisley green silk tie before toasting to the crowd, thanking them for joining him and complimenting their mutual allegiance to the dark arts. Finally the dinner began, house elves conjuring their meals to the table, the wine refilled magically without the need of the poor creatures having to come into the room amongst such prejudiced people. Adira picked at her food, conversation flowed around her, she barely registered that someone was talking to her until suddenly a loud bang reverberated through the room.

Adira could feel her heart race, as she looked up, noticing that her father was glaring straight at her his hand flat on top of the table. His eyes were cold and unforgiving, "Where are your manners Adira," he said coolly, his voice calm yet deadly, "Mrs. Avery asked you a question." The table seemed to grow quiet; Maximus squeezed her thigh a little too hard as if to warn her.

Adira seemed to light up with life, realizing her mistake in withdrawing from the party; she had a role to play, she had an image to keep as a Reed and there was no way she could allow herself to embarrass her family with all these people watching her; observing her every move. "I am so sorry Mrs. Avery, my head was in the clouds, and there is no excuse for my behavior. I am quite excited to start school in the fall, as I am sure my peers are as well; especially with the prospects of a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I truly hope we will get a competent instructor, our past teachers have been less than adequate and I believe that practicing in the Dark Arts of any kind is very important." Adira smiled brightly at Mrs. Avery, who nodded her head in agreement.

The conversation soon picked up again, Adira felt like she could breath as Maximus's grip loosened yet his hand stayed where it was.

She felt a pull, it was almost as if she were being called to look at him, her eyes met his in a clash of fire and ice; Maximus was too enraptured in a conversation with his cousin about Quidditch to notice her exchange with Draco. His eyes said it all, they were soft and comforting and Adira couldn't help but smile delicately back at him before resuming the conversation with Mrs. Avery. It was no surprise that since the incident in the Ministry, the Malfoy's had fallen from grace. Narcissa, despite her natural beauty, looked rather worn and fatigued sitting next to her son; Adira noticed that she barely spoke to anyone except for Blaise and Pansy's mothers. Daniel had forbidden Lillian from socializing with her long time friend, but Lillian would not give Narcissa up, not even when her husband threatened to kill her. Part of Adira was hopeful that her father had shown her mother compassion and allowed her this one small thing, and yet her intuition warned her that there was something darker at play. Daniel Reed was a stubborn man; Adira knew better than anyone, she was quite stubborn herself a trait obviously inherited from her father. He wouldn't give in to his wife's wishes, not unless it benefited him.

Adira was relieved when the lone chair at the end of the table remained empty for the rest of the night. She knew her father was very irritated by the Dark Lord not showing up for his prestigious guests and that made Adira beyond pleased. Slowly their guests left one by one until it was only Clara, Maximus and Draco lazily drinking wine from dinner in the sitting room whilst they waited for their parents to finish up any business they still had with Daniel. Adira couldn't understand what in the world Daniel wanted from Narcissa for her to still be there, another reason for her to be suspicious of her father's intentions.

"Well I think that went relatively well," Clara sighed, her stole wrapped tightly around her; she looked absolutely cozy, "Did you see the look on Tracy's face when she nearly knocked her glass over; I swear I have never seen a girl turn red so fast."

Adira smirked, she had noticed because Maximus's cousin was dared by Maximus to flirt with her, inevitably making her nervous. "She looked like a tomato it was so embarrassing."

Adira sat next to Maximus, unclasping her heels and about to take them off when his hand shot out, circling her wrist in an uncomfortably tight grip, "Do you really want to take your shoes off while you still have people in your home Adira?" He asked, clicking his tongue and letting her go. He began clasping the small buckle on the band around her ankle, his calloused fingers brushing against her skin softly, "You don't want to look sloppy do you, you're father would be disappointed."

Adira felt ashamed, like she had done something unforgivably wrong, "I'm so sorry, you're right. Thank you." Her face felt warm with Clara and Draco's eyes on her, they almost seemed shocked and perhaps even disappointed; Adira assumed it was because of how stupid she was for thinking it was appropriate to remove her shoes in front of them. Maximus kissed her softly, taking her smooth hand in his; Adira was too lost in his warm eyes to notice the shared look between Draco and Clara.

Draco frowned, a look of disgust on his face as he watched how Adira submitted to Maximus without even a second thought. He would never tell her what to do in such a manner that made her feel inferior. Draco thought Maximus was well out of line, Adira was in her own home, it was not inappropriate to take ones shoes off in the comfort of their home. Adira was amongst her friends now, not strangers and acquaintances she barely knew, it was not rude in the slightest to remove her shoes.

Draco couldn't understand why he was getting so upset over this little thing. Perhaps it was because he really didn't like Maximus Avery, something about the older Ravenclaw boy didn't sit right with him. He was almost glad he wasn't in Slytherin, otherwise he'd have to see him all the time, and all over Adira no less. He definitely didn't like how he behaved as if Adira was his property. Adira did not belong to any one, she was her own person, and she was bright and independent and beautiful; he could not believe she was taking orders from this pretty boy.

Before Draco could open his mouth to object, Narcissa walked out of the dining room, head held high and Lillian close behind her. "Come now Draco, time to go." She said, directing him towards the fireplace. Adira noticed how her dear mother looked terribly upset, "Cissy, I—" she was stopped by Draco's mother hushing her.

"I understand Lilli, I'll be in touch," Narcissa quickly embraced Lillian, eyes glistening with fresh tears before turning on her heels, "Good night." She called over her shoulders, Mr. and Mrs. Avery appearing to be on their way out too. Draco was relieved the Averys were leaving; he felt appalled by the idea Maximus would be spending any more time with Adira, especially alone. He knew he was at fault for not communicating with her; he wanted to desperately tell her what was happening but he couldn't. He wanted to confide in her as he once did and yet he knew it would be impossible now. Everything would be different this year, everything had changed and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with Maximus Avery.


	2. Welcome To 6th Year

Hello my darlings, Happy Halloween! In honor of the holiday, here is chapter two! Thank you so much for the follows and favorites and the review from Belovedfinch11, I really appreciate it! Hope you all enjoy xxx

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Chapter 2

"Anything from the trolley, dear?" Clara's hand shot out enthusiastically, Blaise snickering beside her as she filled her arms with snacks. Despite her delicate features Clara's slap stung when Theo attempted to steal her cauldron cake, which to his chagrin she handed the confectionary to Blaise.

"Not fair Clara," Theo sulked, "How come Blaise gets a cake and I don't?"

Clara smirked, popping a few chocolates into her mouth, "Because, Theo; Blaise is polite and has manners unlike you. You're a yob."

Draco snorted, entering the compartment with Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, "Blaise is her new favorite Nott; by the way Richardson is looking for you."

Nott's eyes lit up as he shot out of his seat taking his belongings with him; but not before swiping a few pumpkin pasties sitting between Blaise and Clara, ignoring her curses with a satisfied grin. Draco sat with a bored expression on his face with Pansy snuggly next to him, "So, where's your other half?" he asked accepting a liquorice wand from Blaise.

Clara sighed, she knew exactly where Adira was; she was sitting with Maximus Avery in the 7th year Ravenclaw compartment. It was completely ridiculous; they even got into a small argument before boarding the train together. Maximus insinuated that Adira and Draco were still involved and that her father would be beyond livid if he found out about it. To Clara it sounded like a threat and yet when she even tried to tell her best friend her thoughts, Adira brushed her off and went running after Maximus.

Clara gave him a pointed look, "Where do you think she is Draco?" The 6th years' handsome face scrunched up into a sneer before smoothing into a passive glare, "Whatever." He mumbled, resting his head onto Pansy's lap, much like he used to do with Adira.

It hurt Clara to see him behave this way, mostly because she knew how much he was only hurting himself and by default Adira. Though her bubbly friend refused to admit it, Adira constantly worried about Draco, it's all she could talk about after the dinner party over summer. Then there was this whole situation with Maximus; Clara wanted to gag just thinking about it. She hated him; Maximus Avery was a right prick and Clara felt like she was the only one who noticed how manipulative he was.

Soon after, Blaise left after receiving some note from the new Professor, and much to everyone's surprise Adira walked in. Tucking her neatly curled hair behind her ear, she approached rather timidly. Clara smiled brightly at her, patting the empty seat next to her and offering Adira her favorite chocolates. Adira declined the chocolates, joining her peers and seeming much more relaxed than she had on arrival.

Pansy scowled, crossing her arms as Draco immediately sat up, pushing her hand away from him. "Adria." He nodded his head in greeting.

"Draco." She replied back before launching into idle conversation, even with Pansy who seemed relatively shocked Adira was being civil with her.

Draco remained quiet, watching the beautiful girl across from him laugh at something Clara had said. He noticed how her smile didn't quite reach her amber eyes, or how her gaze constantly darted towards the compartment door as if on the look out for something.

"You and Avery, eh?" he couldn't help it; Draco wanted to smack himself in the head for being so obtrusive. But Adira merely shrugged her shoulders, another subdued smile on her face as if she had been asked this question a million times.

"Yeah, he's nice." Was all she said, fiddling with something around her wrist, if only she wasn't wearing a long sleeved shirt, Draco wondered if perhaps it was the bracelet he had given her last year for Christmas. He hadn't seen her wearing it the night of her party; he was surprised by his own disappointment at that revelation.

Draco leaned back in his seat, noticing Clara's obvious disapproval of the relationship. Her lips were in a thin line and it looked like she wanted to say something so desperately about it but she kept it to herself, shoving more chocolate into her mouth. Draco made a mental note to ask her about it later, perhaps his immense dislike of the Avery boy wasn't just jealously.

There were so many things Adira wanted to say to him. She had a plethora of questions to ask him and yet she kept her mouth shut, diplomatically keeping conversation light and airy. She didn't mind including Pansy and the two oafs Draco called his friends in the conversation for the most part. After all it appeared Draco and the obnoxious girl next to him were some how involved with each other and Crabbe and Goyle barely uttered a word, probably for the better. Adira was relieved to be out of the Ravenclaw compartment. Quite frankly, she never wanted to sit with Maximus in the first place, but after his snide comment about Draco, Adira felt like she didn't have a choice. If Maximus even said a word to her father about Draco Malfoy, she knew it wouldn't bode well for either of them.

Adira noticed the pensive look on Draco's chiseled face; he looked much sharper this year, more handsome if that was even possible. But his eyes, the depths of silver blue that constantly pulled Adira in, seemed almost sad. Adira wanted to reach out and smooth his worries away, to tell him he could lean on her, that she would always be there for him, but every time she even thought about communicating with Draco, Maximus and her father always popped into the back of her head. Their voices screamed at her to stay away, to leave him alone or there would be serious consequences.

Draco, who was quietly looking out the window could feel her eyes on him and without thought met her gaze intently. Adira felt like she couldn't breath, the air was knocked out of her lungs with the look in Draco's steel eyes. So many emotions swirled in a pool of gray, disappointment, longing, and to Adira's surprise, a cold hard wall of ice blocking Adira from understanding more. When had Draco been so hard to read? What had happened to him over the summer?

Of course as soon as Adira plucked up enough courage to talk to Draco, Blaise burst into the compartment, looking very irritated and tired. Adira knew it was time she rejoined Maximus, she couldn't believe her luck getting away from him in the first place when the letter arrived for him to join Slughorn for lunch; she didn't want to push her luck by staying any longer with her peers.

"And that's my cue to go," she said, kissing Clara on the cheek on her way out, "See you lot at the table," Adira smiled without a second glance back at the boy she undeniably cared for.

By the time she changed into her uniform and got off of the train, Adira wanted to scream. There was only so much time she could bear to spend with Maximus and his friends and almost an entire train ride to Hogwarts was pushing her threshold of patience. The trip up to the castle was rather odd this year; Hogwarts felt dark and foreboding. It didn't help that professors were waiting at the tall iron gates with a checklist and inspecting student's belongings. It was obvious that the emergence of the Dark Lord had sent everyone in a tizzy; no doubt the school was covered in anti-intruder jinxes and Merlin knew what else.

Rather than feeling protected, however, Adira felt anxious. She looked around her, Maximus was still laughing about something with his friends, his large hand tightly gripping Adira's as if to be certain she wouldn't wander off. All her peers seemed joyful, like what was going on outside of school would never be able touch them at Hogwarts, especially with Dumbledore as their Headmaster. But Adira knew better, that is to say, she knew her father very well and if his beliefs were a reflection on the other death eaters, then she knew that they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. They had no qualms about destroying families and lives, they didn't care if they killed someone; even children and that's what terrified her the most. She didn't feel consoled by the fact that she was a Reed, at the end of the day if her father viewed her as useless, she too would become just another name under the Daily Prophet Obituaries.

As they finally reached the Great Hall, Maximus lightly pulled Adira into his side and kissed her firmly. Once again Adira felt like she was on display with him, she was certain everyone was gawking at them; not doubt the rumors would begin on what had happened between the Slytherin Prince and Princess. Adira wanted to hide; this was everything she had tried to avoid when she was seeing Draco. Her cheeks felt warm when he finally pulled away, his lips centimeters from hers. Maximus had a smug look on his face as he caressed her cheek, "Stay away from Malfoy will you darling?"

Maximus smirked, his eyes catching Draco's at the Slytherin table before embracing his fiery brunette girlfriend, his hand dangerously low along her back. Adira hummed a reply before twirling away, her long curled hair bouncing with every step. She managed to squeeze herself in next to Clara at the large table, the white and gold candles hovering above them casting a warm glow over the gargantuan feast. "He's a git," Clara commented, her eyes never once meeting Adira's while she took a rather large bite of the roast on her plate.

Adira knew Clara was right, Maximus was an ass; he knew how uncomfortable it made Adira by publicizing their relationship and although he agreed to keep things between them, it was quite apparent by his actions he had no intention of ever respecting her wishes to remain private. Adira was silently fuming, she didn't even bother serving herself food, Maximus had spoiled her appetite. As dinner progressed and the sorting was finished, Adira was done; she could hear the whispers and the rumors already amongst her table. She also noticed how Pansy was pressed up against Draco and although she promised herself she would be cordial to this new fling, Adira's tolerance was stretched too thin that evening for Pansy's goading.

She was thankful for Harry Potter bursting through the doors with blood all over his face; it gave the students at her table something else to talk about. The story was passed down amongst the Slytherins straight from Draco's mouth; she didn't blame him for breaking his nose. Draco had quite the temper, although his was more subdued and cold compared to Adira's loud and aggressive nature, he still had a temper that surpassed her own. Draco had every right to retaliate against Harry; after all it was through his testimony that Draco's father was thrown into Azkaban and Adira was forbidden from seeing him again.

Whatever happened to Draco over the summer for him to distance himself from her was Harry's fault, and for that Adira would never forgive him for it.

Finally the Great Hall quieted down for Dumbledore to speak as he always did every year in welcoming new staff and students. Clara reached for a treacle tart and placed one in front of Adira, "You need to eat something Adira, you haven't touched a single thing since you've sat down," she whispered.

"I'm not hungry," Adira pushed the sweet away from her, her lips pulled into a frown when Clara pushed it back towards her.

"Eat. The bloody. Sweet," She hissed, looking to Blaise for help. Clara knew he was paying attention to them; Blaise had a way of always noticing everything around him without appearing to be paying attention at all. The mocha skinned boy shrugged his shoulders, taking a slice of cake and placing it in front of Adira much like Clara had, "She likes chocolate better Clara," his dark eyes met Adira's firmly with an indignant expression.

Begrudgingly she took a large bite of the dessert. Of course with her luck, she had taken that bite right when Dumbledore announced Professor Snape to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Coughing from the surprising news, Clara slapped Adira's back whilst cheering for their head of house. The Slytherins were in celebration; it was no secret Snape had wanted this position since their first year of school if not longer. In their eyes he deserved it.

A sudden hush seemed to fall amongst the students as Dumbledore continued on with his start of term speech, emphasizing the dangers the student's faced and that their safety was of utmost importance. It was rather sobering for Adira, she knew better than anyone how easily a person could be manipulated by individuals like her father.

Adira noticed she was beginning to form a habit of watching Draco, her eyes always managed to wander towards him, even now she couldn't help but watch him completely disregard Dumbledore as he absentmindedly hovered a fork above his plate. It didn't sit right with Adira, perhaps she was reading too closely into things, perhaps she was obsessing over Draco because she still cared about him but something was not right with him.

For the rest of the evening Adira couldn't shake the unsettling feeling revolving around Draco, no matter how hard she tried. Dutifully, Adira waited for Maximus outside the Great Hall as students were dismissed from supper. She was watching Draco's platinum head amongst the crowd disappear towards the dungeons when Ginny Weasley slammed her shoulder roughly against Adira's, a scowl on her face with Ron, Harry, and Hermione close behind her. If Maximus hadn't miraculously showed up throwing an arm over her shoulder, Adira knew there would have been a nasty spat between them.

"Hey, Potter, congratulations making Capitan," Maximus smirked noting the surprised look on Harry's face, "Yeah, Davies wouldn't shut up about it."

"Erm, yeah thanks Avery, should be good. You still trying out this year?" Harry shuffled his feet awkwardly, eyes darting between Adira and Maximus uncomfortably. Ginny had huffed and taken her leave, joining two Gryffindor girls, her eyes set in a hard glare as she glanced back at the odd group.

With a lopsided grin Maximus slid his arm around Adira's waist, squeezing her for a moment before confirming he would be trying out for Keeper again that year, his deep blue eyes set challengingly on Harry and Ron, "See you on the pitch then Potter, Weasley."

The tall foreboding boy didn't even bother acknowledging Hermione, Adira had a feeling it was because he was actually an incredibly prejudiced individual and the frizzy haired girl was a muggle born witch.

Hermione's thin lips tipped into a frown, but she bid Adira goodnight all the same which warmed her heart. Adira didn't blame the Gryffindors for hating her, or being suspicious of her intentions. She still had no idea how Draco managed to wipe her name off the DA list, but it was obvious Adira had broken their trust and therefore lost their friendship. She didn't even want to think about how the twins or Eledie had taken it; it was peculiar, she hadn't even seen the short blonde girl at her house table.

Adira felt Maximus's hand trail over her backside, nudging her forward towards the Slytherin dorms once the Gyffindors were out of sight. They walked together in silence but Adira felt tense, still upset with his earlier behavior before the start of term feast. He stopped right before the stairs that would lead Adira down to her peers and took her hand in his, pulling her close to his taut body.

Adira felt sick, she didn't want to be near Maximus right now; she was so overwhelmed with anger from his antics earlier not to mention the run in with the Gryffindors reminded her how she practically abandoned the DA for her own selfish reasons, the last thing she wanted to do was have a cheeky snog with her boyfriend. "Maximus," she sighed, turning a cheek to him so his lips narrowly missed her own, "I'm really tired." Adira tried to pull her hand out of his but to her dismay he merely tightened his grip.

Maximus scoffed, stepping forward until Adira's back was pushed against the rough stone wall. Adira's golden eyes grew wide, a startled gasp escaping her as Maximus pressed his body firmly against hers, trapping her where she was. The look in his eyes said it all; Adira had angered him by her refusal.

"I just want a little good night kiss from my _girlfriend_ is that such a crime?" Adira shrugged her shoulders, she knew Maximus well enough now to understand that a 'good night kiss' really meant something more.

Adira had a hard time over the summer trying to create boundaries between them. She wasn't ready for the kind of physical relationship the older boy had wanted. She had been pleasantly surprised when he immediately agreed to take things slow with her, claiming he would never pressure her into anything she didn't want. Ever since the end of summer dinner party however, he had been insinuating more and more how being together physically would ease his insecurities about Draco. At first when he had said that, Adira felt bad for Maximus, and awful that she was even thinking about the Slytherin Prince as much as she was.

But in moments like these, which happened frequently now, Adira felt like a trapped mouse staring into the eyes of a hungry cat that wanted nothing more than to devour her whole.

"You know I care about you Adira," he whispered, his fingers brushing against her cheek, "Do you care about me?"

"Of course," she mumbled, eyes burning a hole in the wall across from her, hoping, praying that he would just let her be for tonight, or that a student would interrupt them.

Adira's head was forcibly turned to look right at Maximus, his strong hand firmly holding her chin, "Don't lie to me Adira," the young witch felt her knees begin to tremble, she wished she could just disappear into the wall she was pressed against to get away from Maximus, his hold on her was beginning to hurt and he wasn't being very gentle.

Shakily Adira whispered, "I'm not lying," her voice cracked, Maximus had released her chin but now his fingers crept underneath her school skirt, "Maximus, please," she begged, holding on to his wrist to stop him from going up any further, "I don't want to."

The smirk on the Ravenclaw boy's face made Adira's heart pound furiously against her ribcage. It was definitely curfew now, she should have been in bed or at least in the common room catching up with her friends. If they were caught in such a compromising position she was sure to get detention before the term even started not to mention everyone would probably find out and call her a whore just like they did when Pansy spread that nasty rumor around.

Adira wasn't comfortable with Maximus the way she was with Draco. He had been her friend, her confidant she trusted him, but Maximus? She hardly knew Maximus compared to how she knew Draco and she was beginning to realize that perhaps agreeing to go out with Maximus had been a mistake. His large hand wrapped around her neck then, pressing hard against her windpipe, Adira was scared, genuinely frightened by this boy in front of her.

"Maximus, you're hurting me." Adira's fingers grasped his wrist, pulling gently against him as not to anger the older boy further.

Adira wouldn't cry, she kept telling herself, she wouldn't let him see her tears, she refused to let him see how weak he made her feel, how helpless she truly was against him. She wondered to herself why she couldn't be more of a fighter; when did she become so passive?

"I care about you so much Adira, and I see the way you still look at him," Adira's heart leapt to her throat, and she began to feel light headed even though the grip on her neck had loosened slightly, "Like you'd rather be with him than with me. Do you know how humiliating that is?" Maximus's nose brushed against hers as he spat the words out. Adira felt annoyed and desperate, Maximus wasn't letting this go.

"Maximus, enough." She hissed, frustrated at how he still hadn't released her; she hated how vulnerable she was. But Maximus would not relent, the pressure against her throat

tightened again, Maximus's dark blue eyes narrowing with contempt.

"I see the way you look at him! I'm not stupid Adira." he shouted, pushing her head back against the wall, Adira was sure it would leave a bump. Dark spots splattered her vision, her tan hand that held Maximus's wrist tensed. She wasn't sure if it was out of pity or out of fear of being caught that her boyfriend finally relented. His eyes had flashed dangerously before he briskly walked off without even an apology.

When he had rounded the corner, the sound of his footsteps long gone, Adira let her emotions crash through her carefully constructed wall, breathing deeply she coughed at the sudden airflow. The tears she had tried so desperately to hold back spilled down her cheeks, and her fingers shook as she slid down the wall, her breath coming out in short shallow gasps.

The panic attack hadn't lasted long, but it was long enough for Adira to realize what had just happened. Adira felt repulsed by herself, how could she have allowed him to do such a thing to her without fighting back? She had begged him to stop, pleaded with him and yet he still took advantage of her. With a choked sob, she thought to herself, Draco would have never put a hand on her the way Maximus did.

After a moment trying to control herself, Adira stood up unsteadily, using the wall to support her weight as she slowly trekked down to the common room, guilt and despair eating away at her resolve to stay calm and collected. Her face was no doubt splotchy and pink; her eyes rimmed red from crying.

She cast a quick disillusionment charm to clear up any evidence that she had been sobbing pathetically before hoarsely whispering the password to get in, the portrait on the wall looking down at her with obvious pity in his small beady eyes. The warmth of the common room should have filled her with joy and relief to be back in her comfort zone, but instead all she felt was dread. Her wild eyes darted around, hopeful that it would be clear of her friends. She was thankful that only a few 7th year girls loitered around the fireplace. They paid her no attention, already in their sleeping clothes, whispering softly about something or other. Adira slipped past them and up to her assigned bed praying Clara would be fast asleep; she couldn't bear explaining to her what was wrong.

Adira slowly got ready for bed that night spending an extra hour in the shower, the hot water burning her skin. She kept replaying her encounter with Maximus over and over again, wishing she had done something, _anything_ to stop him. She could have reached for her wand and hexed him; she could have clawed at his face to get him to let her go. She scrubbed her skin raw; trying to forget how disgusting and useless Maximus had made her feel. What happened to the girl who wasn't afraid of speaking her mind, or fighting back? Did the summer really change her so much; had her _father's_ presence changed her?

Adira felt lost and helpless; she didn't know how she could pretend she was all right. Who would believe her anyway if she told them what Maximus did? He was her boyfriend after all, they were obviously together, and Maximus had made that clear to everyone already that she was with him and that he was a perfect gentleman. How could anyone believe Maximus Avery wasn't a perfect gentleman? People would just say Adira was a liar seeking attention; Maximus was a popular boy no doubt her peers would pick his side over hers, she was certain.

Adira huffed, she was a Reed damn it, she had the finest blood; though she abhorred it, she was raised to be the perfect daughter of a pureblood family. She had all the resources in the world at her fingertips and yet somehow, Maximus Avery managed to strip her of her pride, she felt as low as a street urchin. Draco had only made her feel like a priceless jewel to be respected and adored.

She cried again, letting the hot water pound against her back, her face pressed into her hands as she shook from her tears, wishing the year would just be over already and it hadn't even started.


	3. Luck Runs Out

Chapter 3

"What is that?" Clara asked, her blue eyes staring right at her friends' neck with concern.

Adira pulled the collar of her shirt a bit higher wishing she had remembered to button the starchy white shirt all the way up. She hadn't anticipated Clara to be so observant that morning, especially since they had woken up late. Adira bit the inside of her cheeks nervously, "It's nothing," she replied, a pink blush spreading across her face. But Clara would not relent, and before Adira could stop her pretty friend she had practically pulled her uniform down to her collarbone, some of the buttons miraculously popping open as if Merlin himself wanted the world to see Adira's purple splattered neck.

Clara's probing fingers poked at the tender skin where it was obvious someone had forcibly held Adira, her thin brows furrowed in frustration when the pretty brunette pulled away quickly, redoing the buttons and tightening her green and silver tie, "I said it's nothing Clara, could you not be so annoying about it?" Adira snapped, her golden eyes ablaze with an emotion Clara hadn't seen in a long time.

"Sorry," Clara mumbled her apology, reviewing her timetable after Professor Snape had made a few changes. Clara hadn't received an Outstanding on her O.W.L's for Potions, but apparently Professor Slughorn only required an Exceeds Expectations, which she indeed got on the exam. Clara was relieved to know that she and Adira would have most of their classes together, especially now after seeing those horrific marks on her best friend.

She hated to even say his name let alone speak of him, but seeing how tense she was when Maximus came around after breakfast to give her a quick kiss, Clara needed to know for her own peace of mind if Maximus was behind Adira's suddenly defensive behavior. If Adira was remotely comfortable in her relationship with Maximus, Clara knew she wouldn't be so nervous under her scrutiny.

"How's Avery?"

Adira froze, her knuckles turning white as she attempted to calm herself by squeezing her shoulder bag straps; could Clara know what had transpired last night? She had been in such a rush that morning with the beauty charm, which obviously failed miserably; she hadn't anticipated a conversation about Maximus, "Fine." She replied in a clipped tone, "He's great, trying out for Keeper again this year which I'm sure he'll get the position. He's an excellent player. He practiced over the summer at the manor with his cousin, I was very impressed."

Clara's frown turned into a grimace as they made their way through the busy hallway, Adira never rambled unless she was hiding something. "Adira," Clara spoke softly now, as if she were dealing with an injured animal, "If something is on your mind you know you can tell me. I'm your best friend, we've known each other since we were in nappies," she chuckled, noting that Adira's panicked expression smoothed into a small smile. When they had talked about Draco, Adira's reaction had never been one to leave a foul taste in Clara's mouth; if anything it made her feel incredibly happy that her childhood friend had something good in her life even if he was a right twat most of the time. This was something different entirely, this was bad, this was dangerous and Clara was never one to ignore her intuition much like Adira never ignored hers.

"I know Clara, but honestly everything is fine." Clara nodded her head; the finality in Adira's voice was not one to argue with. If she didn't want to talk about it, Clara would not force her but everything was not fine. Clara wasn't stupid, and she wasn't blind, those were absolutely bruises scattered across her neck resembling very distinctly that of a hand. Adira was skirting away from the conversation of her boyfriend and her disposition when his name was brought up raised alarms; Clara would be damned if she let this continue any longer especially if he was getting violent.

The two girls walked along the outside corridors around the west wing courtyard, watching students milling about during their free morning period. Clara and Adira quickly sat on one of the stone benches, claiming the spot before a group of Hufflepuffs snatched the sun kissed sitting area. They basked in the morning light, discussing their timetables and when they would meet up in order to walk to class together. Eventually half way through their hour break Blaise and Theo joined them, "Clara, move over, you take up so much bloody space." Blaise teased whilst he sat between the two witches with ease. Clara rolled her eyes; Blaise had thrown his arms over both Adira and her shoulder, looking absolutely ridiculous and far too pleased.

"Yeah alright Zambini. Did you lads have class this morning?"

Theo shook his head, shaggy brown hair falling into his hazel eyes, Adira could have sworn she saw him glaring at Blaise's hand currently resting on Clara, his finger's absentmindedly twirling a strand of her now lavender blonde hair.

"We've got Defense coming up and then after I've got Herbology but Zambini has a free period."

"Don't be bitter mate, you've got that free period after lunch," Blaise smirked, "I'd rather have that than endure—" Adira and Clara's schedules floated out of their bags and right into his hands, "Potions, Transfiguration _and_ Charms?"

With a shout of protest Adira and Clara snatched their papers back, "Really, I can't seem to escape you bloody banshees."

"I resent that," Clara shoved Blaise's hand away from her, a playful scowl on her face whilst Adira laughed, "Face it Blaise, you're stuck with us for all of eternity, our loud screeching voices and all."

"Not likely," he snorted, "I'd rather throw myself out of the Owlery," Blaise shook his head, "Actually scratch that, I'm not getting owl shit anywhere near my body."

Adira grinned, "And has that happened to you before Blaise?" The brunette girl knew it had occurred just from the perturbed expression on Blaise's handsome face.

"Shut it Reed." He grumbled sitting up to grab his own bag and standing next to Theo who looked rather pleased at the thought a bird had relieved itself upon Blaise's head.

"Wait, how the hell did you get into Potions and I didn't?" Theo appeared confused, shooting Clara an odd yet awed look.

Blaise chuckled, "Brilliant question Nott, how _did_ you get into Potions; I mean Adira should have been a Ravenclaw, it makes sense for her to be in her N.E.W.T courses, but you…" Blaise looked rather gleeful as his dark eyes glanced over towards Theo, both boys smiling like Cheshire cats even when Clara whipped out her wand and chased the boys around the courtyard.

Adira clutched her stomach she was laughing so hard; Clara had gone red in the face, shouting obscene things back at the boys even as they split up weaving through groups of students. Clara was right annoyed when she gave up, her chest heaving from the effort of running after the tall boys.

"I swear on Merlin's soul I will get them back when they least expect it."

Adira believed it; Clara had a mischievous glint in her aqua eyes, her mind no doubt working out a way to prank the boys for irritating her on the first day of school. The Slytherins ignored the dumbfounded looks on the faces of other students around them, continuing to bicker and chat all the way to their class, thankful that they managed to be in the same courses together for the most part.

When they reached the queue outside of Professor Snape's classroom, Blaise and Theo joined Draco near the door, leaving the two girls to themselves. Adira's stomach began to churn, her cheeks flushed when she and Draco locked eyes. His steel grey gaze burned into her, his focus solely on her at the front of the line whilst Blaise was trying to get his attention.

"Merlin's beard." Adira breathed directing her attention elsewhere and overwhelmed by Draco's presence. Clara merely smiled looking over at where Draco and Blaise stood in their little group.

"I bet you anything Blaise is telling them about how clever he thinks he is." She said, pouting and sticking her tongue out in their direction. Adira giggled, she loved how Clara could change her mood in an instant. Even this morning her friend managed to ease Adira's insecure mind, distracting her from the pessimistic thoughts she was having about what Maximus's next horrific exploit would be.

"You know for someone who insists he's moved on, Malfoy stares after you like a love sick puppy far too much. I think he's even making Potter feel sick just from all the pining." Clara baited, pleased when she noted how pink Adira's cheeks grew, a small smile tugging at the corner of her full lips.

"Don't let Pansy hear you say that," Adira spoke softly, spotting the shorter pug faced girl cackling at the end of the line with her friends. She was looking over at Draco hungrily but Adira was certain Draco wasn't paying attention to her at all and she was very satisfied by that revelation.

Finally Professor Snape allowed his pupils to enter the large darkened room. Gruesome pictures were spread out evenly on the wall, depicting nasty acts of violence produced by dark curses. Adira had a feeling this would be an interesting course. Dim lit candles floated above them in clusters, every once in a while they passed by a painting, its subject shrieking silently in pain. How morbid, Adira thought to herself, but it was better than everything pink when Umbridge was around.

She took her seat in the back with Clara, partially annoyed that Blaise, Draco and Nott took up the space too. Pansy glowered at the girls, taking a seat at the long dark table behind them with her posse; the same girls she showed up with to the Reed dinner party.

Adira felt like the universe was truly out to get her when Blaise practically shoved Draco down into the chair next to her, taking the other seat next to Clara to Theo's dismay. Draco glared back at Blaise his lips pursed and posture rigid, his attempt to keep his body as far away as he possibly could from Adira was comical considering Adira was practically doing the same thing.

When the tall and foreboding professor finally allowed them to pair up in practicing non-verbal spells, Adira was relieved Clara had taken her place in front of the dark haired girl. "Right," Clara huffed, "How the bloody hell are we supposed to do this?"

She held her wand tensely between her slender fingers, eyes darting between groups, Adira had to bite her tongue from chortling. Snape had hissed at most of them to stay quiet, primarily Harry Potter and his lot, leaving the Slytherins ample space to whisper their jinxes.

Finally with an annoyed groan, Clara quickly whispered a jinx, Adira blocking it with a hushed reply of her own. After Harry's rather thrilling spat with Professor Snape, the two girls linked arms; ready for their next course together and then a well deserved break which the two girls spent working on their course work much to Adira's displeasure.

Lunch came and went and Adira was relieved that Maximus had gone off with his Ravenclaw pals to their House Quidditch tryouts. She spent the hour making fun of Pansy with Clara and Blaise; Draco even seemed content to listen in on their teasing though he didn't partake.

"Aren't you brilliant at potions Adira?" Blaise asked, after Adira questioned him on what sort of Professor he assumed Slughorn to be while they walked out of the Great Hall.

"Yeah, but my father is an escaped death eater and a loyal follower of the Dark Lord," she spoke quietly back, careful to keep their conversation between the small group. Adira could feel the back of her head tingle, knowing very well that Draco was hovering close behind them; watching her no doubt as he had during lunch. Blaise and Draco had tagged along with the girls to class given they were walking to the same place.

"I get that, but what's that got to do with anything?"

Clara snorted, "You are so dim."

With a pointed look Adira nudged Clara in the side, causing the petite girl to yelp, "You really think a professor at this school is going to be rubbing elbows with the daughter of a notorious death eater?" Adira explained.

"Figures why I wasn't invited to the 'Slug Club' either," Draco's voice still managed to make Adira feel like she had a nest of fairies in her stomach. She looked over at him, observing how his lips titled into a snarl, hard lines etched into his forehead like he had taken to frowning rather than that playful smirk she was accustomed to seeing. "Clearly only pathetic people like Toss Pot and wankers get invited."

"Oi!"

Adira couldn't help but laugh at Blaise's reaction, "I was invited mate, does that make me a wanker too?"

"No, that just makes you a knob." Clara and Adira sniggered together; watching Draco and Blaise throw plucky insults at each other was always entertaining.

The group stood around the door to the Potions classroom, noting how there were only a handful of students waiting to enter the class. Adira couldn't help but roll her eyes when she noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione approach, the two boys with annoyed glares pointed directly at Draco and herself.

Professor Slughorn finally allowed the class in, patting Blaise on the back with great enthusiasm. Adira watched Clara grab Blaise's shoulder, mimicking the professor's actions. She beamed, they had to like each other; the flirtatious tension was palpable especially when Blaise squeezed Clara's side whilst Clara smacked his hand away all with a smile on her face. No wonder Theo had been upset with his friend, it was no secret the tall gangly boy had a crush on Clara since last year.

"Honestly, they should just admit they fancy each other," Draco whispered in Adira's ear, a cool shiver running down her spine. Adira hummed in reply, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm her pounding heart.

The four Slytherins walked to an empty table with a large cauldron centered atop. Its contents gurgled with a clear odorless liquid that none of them bothered to get a better look at. The group pulled out their scales and potion kits as instructed by their teacher noticing that the two other tables around them had their own potions bubbling away.

Draco's arm brushed against Adira's when he grabbed his Advanced Potion Making book from his bag, an accident on his part that left both Slytherins with flushed cheeks, both too embarrassed to acknowledge the contact. Adira scolded herself for acting like an infatuated little girl; she had a boyfriend for Merlin's sake. Even if she was questioning her relationship, she was still committed to Maximus and she couldn't imagine doing anything to make the older boy angry or suspicious of her. He already claimed she was longing after Draco; his forceful actions last night was a reminder of how demanding and controlling Maximus could be.

Her eyes glanced to the Ravenclaw table; she was certain one of the lads was on the Quidditch team and friends with Maximus. She felt like she had to be cautious of her actions, especially around Draco and anyone who was affiliated or friends with her current boyfriend.

Adira didn't realize she had retreated into the recesses of her mind until Hermione's voice startled her out of her stupor, "It's liquid luck! It makes you lucky!"

Felix Felicis, a luck potion that brought whoever drank its contents success in anything they did. The large walrus of a man was offering a small vial of it to whoever managed to successfully make Draught of Living Death; a potion Adira knew to be quite advanced and infuriating to make. She groaned, every one around her was scrambling to the right page; even Draco was feverishly searching his book and pulling out his scales in great haste.

Adira began to work, irritated by how competitive everyone was; yes it would be lovely to have a perfect day for twelve hours, imagine the possibilities! She could confess to Maximus all her insecurities about her relationship with him, maybe even suggest they take a short break; she could even tell Draco how she still had feelings for him, maybe discuss what went wrong in their relationship and gather the courage to ask him what was on his mind.

But at the end of the day, twelve hours was nothing, it wouldn't change anything. Her father would still be home, bossing her mother around and treating her like manure, the Dark Lord would still hold power over his ever-loyal followers and her family, and Harry Potter and his gang of do-gooders would still abhor her.

Adira kept to herself, struggling here and there with the ingredients and the process of adding it to the boiling contents in her cauldron. Adira knew if she had more time she would have been able to brew a decent Draught but the hour marker Slughorn had set for them was not enough time to complete her task and the Felix Felicis went to Harry Potter.

Draco was fuming and Adira couldn't understand why; after all it was just a simple potion. "Can't believe tosser won." He grumbled, pulling his bag roughly over his shoulder.

Adira frowned, "It wasn't a competition Draco, it's just a potion," She was surprised he hadn't stormed off yet, Draco was always one to throw temper tantrums when he didn't get his way, even with her, "Besides what did you need it for? There's nothing really you can do about the cards you've been dealt, one day won't make a difference."

They silently walked the corridors together, neither noticing Blaise and Clara had gone off on their own towards their next class; Adira had a free period until Transfiguration as did Draco.

"Are you sure you're not just projecting your own thoughts?" He said tensely, leading the two towards the library, "Maybe I needed the luck for something, something important with a deadline."

Draco's brows furrowed, his face seemed to age by years in that single moment. Whatever this task was, it was weighing heavy on his mind and Adira wished he would confide in her, ease his worries. "What is so important that you don't trust in your ability to get it done?"

Adira opened the heavy oak door to the library, her voice in a hushed whisper as they made their way to an empty secluded table warmed by the sun peaking through thick clouds, "You're smart Draco, and you're resourceful. Whatever it is I know you will succeed in your task. Don't doubt yourself."

Draco's frown deepened, sitting down he pulled out his Defense book to begin on Snape's assignment. He hadn't realized how automatic his actions were with Adira; he hadn't meant to lead them here, or do homework with her; some how they still gravitated towards old habits. Except last year, their trips to the library were mostly spent flirting and running from Madam Pince whilst they had a cheeky snog behind the tall bookshelves.

"I don't think you understand how important this task is Adira," he couldn't help himself, he hadn't meant to continue talking about the Dark Lord's assignment, but Adira had been his confidant, his friend; there was a level of trust not even Blaise could compete with.

"I jeopardize _everything_ if I don't succeed." Adira's blood ran cold, what was Draco talking about? What sort of task could sound so sinister? His eyes were cast down with fear for a split moment before he quickly masked his emotions with an impassive glare. He began to scribble upon his parchment, concentrating on his assignment rather than look at Adira who had froze mid action at his chilling words.

It was just like him to pretend he was fine. Draco was struggling with something, and whatever it was didn't sound like normal teenaged problems. This was darker, this was serious and Adira was determined to find out exactly what Draco was hiding. Behind those cool looks and his aloof behavior she knew there was something dodgy brewing.

Was this the reason he had cut off all contact with her over the summer? Why she hadn't heard from him once they got home? Tentatively, she placed a hand atop Draco's wrist, stopping him from writing. She held her breath until his icy eyes met hers; she was startled by his vulnerability.

Her touch had stirred something within him, something he hadn't felt since the end of their fifth year. He still didn't understand his feelings towards the dark haired girl sitting across from him, but he knew he needed Adira. She managed to make him feel hope in an otherwise hopeless situation and she had no clue that Draco's actions could put her life at risk.

"Darling," Adira's stomach lurched uncomfortably, she quickly pulled her hand away from Draco.

"There you are, I—" Maximus's smile slipped off his face when he noticed who Adira was sitting across from, "Oh, Malfoy." He nodded his head in greeting, completely ignoring Draco afterwards and focusing on Adira.

"I wanted to apologize for the other night," he began, "I didn't mean to be so pushy—" Draco scoffed, he had started working on his school work once he realized who had approached them, but he made his disapproval of Maximus clear.

"Sorry, is there a problem?" Maximus's deep voice rose slightly, Adira was surprised Madam Pince hadn't found them and told them off.

Draco smirked, "Not at all Avery, just sounds like there's trouble in paradise."

Adira wanted to crawl underneath the table and escape, the testosterone was unbearable as the two boys stared each other down, refusing to break eye contact.

"I was talking to my _girlfriend_ , Malfoy, best mind your business." Maximus hissed, placing his large hands down on the table in an attempt to intimidate the younger boy.

But Draco wasn't bothered, "You're doing a great job at being her boyfriend aren't you Maximus; she practically ran from you this morning."

Adira's golden eyes grew wide; she hadn't realized Draco was at breakfast this morning or that he even noticed the brief interaction. Her face felt warm and her palms began to sweat, "Why are you with this git?"

Though his eyes continued to bore into Maximus' she knew the question was directed at her and she knew Maximus was seconds away from causing a scene. His fingers twitched as if he wanted to reach for his wand and curse Draco into oblivion. Yet Adira couldn't intervene, she had never been in a position like this before. Here was her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend having a go at each other over _her._ On top of that, she had no idea what to feel towards either of them.

Part of her wanted to back Maximus, after all Draco did go after him first, but the other part of her felt more loyalty towards Draco, considering their past and she still had feelings for him.

She had feelings for him. Adira's throat constricted, she had feelings for Draco and yet she was in a relationship with Maximus whom she knew she _did_ feel something for despite his aggressive behavior. He was apologizing after all for forcing himself onto Adira; she had to acknowledge that he was attempting to be a better boyfriend for her. But what Adira felt for Draco was much stronger, and that terrified the young witch because she wasn't sure if she was ready to admit to herself just what her heart was telling her.

Panicked, she quickly stood up surprising both Draco and Maximus out of their alpha male staring contest.

"Alright boys, that's enough." She said whilst packing her bag. She slipped her arm around Maximus's bicep, squeezing lightly, and whispering in his ear, "You can make it up to me later Maximus, let's just go."

The tension in his shoulder's eased and Adira knew the smug expression on his face irked Draco to no end, "Draco—" Adira paused, biting the inside of her cheek for a moment, she needed him to understand that her leaving with Maximus didn't mean he lost, "I'll see you in class," she said softly, placing her hand gently upon his clenched fist, "We can study later."

Draco relaxed his hand, trying to hold on to the sensation of Adira's warm fingers atop his own even as she walked away, arms linked with Maximus Avery. He had to find a way; he had to finish his task as soon as he could. Draco wasn't sure how long he could bear to watch Adira in the arms of some twat when he knew she should be with him. With the thought of Adira and the Dark Lord's task tangled in his mind, Draco slammed his book shut and rushed out of the library; schoolwork could wait.


	4. Don't Cry Over Spilt Butterbeer

Hello! It's been a while. I got a review on this story from Vanessa, and it really pushed me to find the time to finish this chapter and publish it so I can give you guys a quick update.

I have every intention of finishing this story I promise! I've been super busy this past year and I'll finally have some time in a few weeks to myself and to actually pick up where I left off writing this story. I hope you'll stick around with me until I finish it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I am so so sorry it's taken so long to upload it! Happy reading! xxx S

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Chapter 4

Maximus had indeed made it up to her, taking her down to the Black Lake the next night for supper with a gorgeous picnic set up under a sunset sky. It was very romantic and ended with Adira on his lap, lips locked and hands wandering until Filch screeched for them to get back inside due to the mandatory curfew.

Maximus had apologized to Adira profusely, claiming that he realized afterwards how he didn't consider Adira's feelings and he shouldn't have been so rough with her; he could have really hurt the dark haired girl. He promised his beautiful girlfriend that he would control his anger and only move forward physically if she said it was all right. Adira couldn't have been happier, after all, he was her boyfriend and she was in some sense attracted to him despite their differences in communication. She was feeling positive again about being in a relationship with the older boy; and he was a great distraction against her realization that she might be in love with Draco Malfoy.

She hadn't seen Draco after the library incident; he hadn't shown up to class or dinner; Blaise didn't even know where he was and they were best mates. The days after, Draco had been lost in thought, barely reacting to her or anyone else for that matter. His behavior was abnormal and Adira was still determined to figure him out, her curiosity always managed to get the better of her. What was Draco hiding?

"I don't understand why Slughorn likes you so much," Clara giggled at Blaise's distraught expression to being invited to Professor Slughorn's dinner a few weeks into the term. The three Slytherins were gathered in the corner of the common room having claimed the spot with a table and couch before the rush after dinner.

"You're not particularly pleasant, or charming, or smart—Hey! That hurt!" Clara rubbed the back of her head where Adira smacked her.

"Thank you Adira." Blaise smirked. Adira nodded her head with a smile of her own, returning to practicing non-verbal spells. All the Professors were now expecting them to at least have some sort of handle on silently casting their spells and it was beyond frustrating. Adira and Blaise had managed to cast a few non-verbal spells until Clara showed up and began distracting them.

Clara pouted, "Adira," she whined, "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Not when you're being mean."

"But I wasn't! I was only teasing," Clara stopped talking at the pointed look Adira shot her until finally she apologized to Blaise who looked very smug at his victory.

"Now, I've got a dinner to go to, stay out of trouble girls."

The two witches smiled brightly back at him, both at the same time calling out, "Make no promises!"

Clara sat quietly while Adira continued her attempt to transfigure her textbook into a necklace without using words, but her silence only lasted for a few minutes before Clara became restless.

Adira eventually gave up, "Aren't you usually the one who yells at _me_ for not doing my homework?" The brunette girl asked, a manicured brow rose in disbelief.

"Yeah, actually I am…what is wrong with you Adira, you feeling all right, or is that Ravenclaw boyfriend of yours getting to you?"

"I'll have you know that I am practicing spells on my own accord, and not because Maximus told me intelligence is sexy and I should utilize my book smarts more often."

Clara pursed her lips and crossed her arms, "Uh huh, so really it has nothing to do with him at all."

Adira sighed in exasperation, "What do you have against Maximus, Clara?"

"I don't think he's good enough for you, and I don't think he treats you right. And everyone agrees."

Adira's jaw dropped at her best friend's blunt admission, "Everyone? Who exactly is everyone?"

Clara shrugged her shoulders, she didn't want to throw Blaise and Theo or Draco under the bus, "I think you can take a guess. He's not nice enough to you and I know those bruises on your neck were from him start of term. Is he hurting you Adira?"

Shaking her head furiously Adira began packing her books, before sending them up to her room with a non-verbal spell she _did_ manage to succeed in, "He's not hurting me, and he's already apologized for that. We've come to an understanding and it's fine now." Adira stood up from her seat on the couch, her temper getting the better of her, "I'm sorry you don't like him, but he is my boyfriend, what do you want me to do break up with him and fly off into the sunset with Draco?"

"Yes!"

Adira scoffed, Clara had a look in her eyes that told her she knew something Adira didn't and that made her uncomfortable. "Adira, Draco treated you better than I'm sure Avery does and it's so obvious to all of us that he's in love with you."

There was that word again, thrown around in a conversation about Draco, something Adira wasn't ready to confront or admit to herself that she felt that kind of way about the Slytherin Prince.

"Clara," her voice cracked, before she flopped onto the couch, her eyes glaring up at the ceiling; how could she explain the turmoil she felt? Adira felt the couch dip, knowing very well that Clara had taken a seat next to her, her dainty hands grabbing onto her own gently.

Adira cursed, "I haven't even seen Draco around save for in class and he barely looks at me since our first day of lessons."

Clara was quiet as she watched her best friend frown, her honey brown eyes glassy. Clara couldn't believe it; well she had a hunch, but now it was all so clear, "You're in love with him aren't you," she whispered, keeping her voice low in case other students were to pass by.

Adira's silence was answer enough and Clara didn't know if she should shout with joy or offer Adira her unyielding support; it didn't seem like Adira was taking too well to her own realization.

Adira sniffed, she could feel her eyes sting and she was angry with herself for being so emotional over something so silly as love. She was in love with Draco Lucius Malfoy, that stupid blonde idiot who was far too arrogant and pretentious for his own good. Merlin, she was so oblivious, "Bloody hell," She breathed, "I'm actually in love with that prat; how did this happen?"

"Well—"

Quickly Adira sat up, her hand covering Clara's mouth before she could utter a word, "Nope, don't answer that."

The two girls sat quietly together, Adira's mind running rampant with what if's and what now's; what was she going to do about Maximus?

"You have to break up with him." Clara seemed so sure that ending the relationship with Maximus would solve all of Adira's problems, but Adira knew that would be impossible. "Don't tell me you're going to stay with him, Adira, you can't!"

"I have to, my dad introduced us, that can't be coincidence, not to mention he has a close relationship with Maximus's parents," Adira ran her fingers roughly through her dark curls, "I wouldn't be surprised if I broke up with Maximus, word would get out to both our parents and then what? He'll probably take it out on my mum until I get home and then take it out on me."

Clara and Adira slumped forward, chins resting in the palm of their hands. Clara struggled to find a solution to Adira's predicament and Adira felt absolutely hopeless. Clara understood from her own experience with her family that the duty of a daughter was to get married and produce pureblood heirs. It was all rather old fashioned but that was how it was done and Adira would be expected to marry into a pureblood family such as the Avery's and continue the 'untainted' bloodline. Daniel Reed most likely had his eyes set on Adira and Maximus uniting in marriage to protect his family's legacy despite how archaic the whole thing was.

Adira wished the Malfoy's had a higher position in the Dark Lord's hierarchy, she wouldn't be in this position if Harry Potter hadn't ratted out Draco's father and had him sent to Azkaban. Adira's father would still be under the impression that they would make a good match considering the Dark Lord's second in command, Bellatrix Lestrange, was Draco's aunt.

Clara snapped her fingers suddenly, a bright look on her pretty face, "I know! Just pretend to be in a relationship with Avery and be with Draco at the same time!"

"I am not cheating on my boyfriend with my ex-boyfriend Clara," Adira felt hot at the idea, there was no way she could do something like that without feeling immense guilt, "Besides, there's this small little detail we keep brushing over."

Clara sat up, with a baffled expression urging Adira to continue, "Draco is not talking to me? Hello, Clara, were we not talking about this like five minutes ago, Draco has been ignoring me since school started!"

With a huff Clara stood up and began to pace, "You're right, maybe I could ask Blaise to check on him, get him to talk to you."

Adira watched as her best friend began rattling off ideas, like going into Professor Snape's cabinet and picking out ingredients for veritaserum so Adira could get him to speak to her honestly, or throwing both of them into a tiny room, confiscating their wands and locking the door so they couldn't get out until they spoke to each other. All her ideas were borderline insane except for getting Blaise to speak to the reclusive blonde; only Adira had already asked Blaise if he knew what was up Draco's arse to which he replied "Probably you and that twat you're dating."

A week later and Adira still hadn't managed to speak to Draco or get him alone for just one second. She was either with Maximus who insisted she watch him at Quidditch practice or buried underneath schoolwork. Even when they sat next to each other in class, he seemed closed off and distant. It was as if he was in his own world; he was stuck inside his head, and Adira was certain if he didn't start paying attention in class he would surely fail.

Adira was worried, Draco wasn't acting like his normal pompous self; in fact he had become rather mean and reclusive. This wasn't the standard kind of behavior she was used to seeing, Draco had always taken to teasing and making fun of people he believed were beneath him but this was different. This was like the time he had been upset with her because of a stupid rumor Pansy spread around.

Draco was cold and glum; he had this aura floating about him that almost felt like death. Adira was desperate to say something to him, to see him smile, to see him react to _anything_. He was like a cold porcelain statue, his face gaunt and his eyes bruised purple from lack of sleep.

When Draco started skipping class Adira knew she had to stop wondering what was going on with Draco and actually do something about it. She had to find out where he was going. Mid October came the first trip of the term to Hogsmeade and Adira planned to somehow catch Draco alone somewhere in town and get to the bottom of things.

The weather had drastically changed since the start of term; Adira blamed it on the presence of the Death Eaters. They were always finding ways to spread doom and gloom and what better way than manipulating the weather? It was rather annoying considering last year it was unbearably hot and now all of a sudden it felt like it was winter already.

Adira had excitedly planned the Hogsmeade trip; she would go into town with Clara, persuade Maximus to go to the Three Broomsticks with his mates so that she and Clara could pick up chocolates. Then she would find Draco, and demand he tell her what was wrong and why he was acting so dodgy. It was fool proof. Clara and Adira had come up with the plan a week prior and even got Blaise and Theo to participate by keeping an eye on Draco once they did get into town and report back his whereabouts.

That morning, even the stormy weather couldn't put a damper on Adira's good mood. She was finally going to talk to Draco like she wanted to do weeks ago. Clara and Adira quickly got ready; both in chipper moods as they made sure to grab their cashmere scarves and fur trimmed gloves. Adira covered her head with a soft rounded knit cap with a fuzzy pom-pom on top, matching it with a black shearling coat to keep warm before skipping down the stairs to meet Clara and Blaise in the common room.

The two Slytherins were sitting awfully close to one another next to the blazing fireplace. Adira could just make out a soft blush spreading across Clara's pale cheeks, down to her neck and she knew it wasn't just from the heat of the fire. Clearing her throat, she giggled when Clara shot up and away from Blaise, snatching her gloves off of the low study table.

Adira raised one brow, a knowing smirk on her face before linking arms with Clara, "Come along Blaise," Adira called out over her shoulder, "It's a lovely day for an outing wouldn't you say?"

Blaise snorted, catching up with the girls looking very dapper in his camel toned over coat with a black hooded jacket underneath, "Someone's in a cheery mood." He grumbled, matching stride with the two girls as they made their way to the courtyard. "Malfoy left early this morning, heard him creeping around the room about half past six."

"That's just ghastly," Clara grimaced, "Who would willingly wake up at that hour on a weekend?"

"Obviously Draco," Blaise retorted, rolling his eyes when Clara stuck her tongue out at him.

When they finally made it outside after Filch poked and prodded them with his Secrecy Sensor, Blaise joined Theo and another sixth year bloke called Warren for the walk into Hogsmeade.

The wind was absolutely brutal, Adira watched as Blaise wrapped a scarf around his face that he had brought and pulled up his hood, pulling the strings tightly to protect his head. Adira and Clara did the same, wrapping their scarves around their faces in an effort to keep the wind from chaffing their skin.

Maximus had told Adira to wait for him and his friends at 10 o'clock on the dot outside, but it was now fifteen minutes past and Adira and Clara couldn't hold out any longer in the chilling cold. They didn't want to go through Filch's Secrecy Sensor all over again and he was uptight enough to run them through it twice just to waste their time.

Clara tugged on Adira's sleeve, "Come on then, you told him you'd meet him at the Three Broomsticks later, lets just go."

Adira nodded her head, linking arms once again with Clara's as they trudged their way into town.

Honeydukes was a sight for sore eyes with its brightly lit windows full of shimmering candies and packed with students. It seemed like everyone had the same idea to make this their first stop considering Zonko's was practically deserted. It was disheartening to pass by the joke shop, it looked like the Death Eaters had a little too much fun vandalizing the place.

Adira and Clara relished the warmth of the candy shop, their senses bombarded by sugary sweets all around them. She saw a few members of the DA, but they made it a point to blatantly ignore her or turn their nose the other way. Adira would be lying if she said it didn't sting a little to be snubbed by them, but she made her choice, albeit a selfish one.

Clara began picking out Chocolate Cauldrons and Fizzing Whizzbees, sweets Adira knew to be Blaise's favorites. What a better time than now to fish for some information considering Clara had been so perceptive about her true feelings for Draco. "So, you and Blaise…" Adira smirked grabbing a package of Pepper Imps and continuing to peruse the chocolates on a precariously leaning shelf.

It took a minute for Clara to reply, but Adira didn't need to see her face to know she was blushing, "What about it?"

Adira turned her head sharply in Clara's direction, a wide grin on her face, "You fancy him don't you. No, no, no –" Clara's cheeks turned bright red, and an angry pout formed on her face when Adira prevented her retort, "You can't deny it, your voice went up like a pixie's and you look like a tomato right now. Ha!"

Adira's grin couldn't be wiped off her face even when Clara smacked her arm and threatened to cast a Jelly-Legs Jinx on her so her face would break out with tiny, slimy tentacles.

"Don't you dare go and tell him Adira, I know how you two are chums and all that–"

"Wait a minute, since when have Blaise and I been best mates? Draco is his wife after all, I think they have more of a bond than we do."

Clara gave Adira a pointed look, "Come off it Adira, Blaise looks out for you and you look out for him. That kind of loyalty isn't reserved for acquaintances."

Adira supposed Clara was right, they did protect one another and although their friendship wasn't quite warm and fuzzy like hers and Clara's, it was still a strong bond strengthened through all the debauchery of fifth year.

"Whatever Clara, you're deflecting, you fancy Blaise and I think you two would make a lovely match."

Clara blushed prettily again, her attention upon the same leaning shelf of chocolates Adira had been fiddling with before, "You think so?" she asked bashfully.

"Oh definitely," Adira and Clara made their way to the register, "I think he fancy's you too."

Clara was stunned for long enough that Adira managed to pay for both of their fares without Clara making a fuss. "You think so?"

Adira smiled, "I know so. It's so obvious, even Theo has noticed and he seemed pretty miffed about it on the first day back in class."

As they made their way out of the shop, Adira realized she hadn't felt so normal in quite some time. It felt like there had been so many pressing things on Adira's mind; she forgot she was a teenager for Merlin's sake! She couldn't remember the last time she had teased Clara for liking someone, and she definitely couldn't remember the last time the two of them had a laugh about it. Regardless of the awful weather, Adira and Clara were all smiles, even when the sky started spitting sleet down upon them.

When they made it to the Three Broomsticks, Adira wasn't surprised to see Maximus and his friends occupying a table, however, what did take her by surprise was the fact that Blaise, Theo, and Warren were sitting there with them. Maximus seemed to be in a fowl mood, glaring into his cup whilst Blaise and Theo entertained his friends. "So, I told him, 'if you really want to impress him, you should jump on your broomstick and take it through the gardens'–"

"You mean he flew through the Venomous Tentacula grove?" Maximus's housemate gawped, Adira had the mind to close his mouth for him as she and Clara found a seat.

Blaise snorted smugly as Maximus's friends continued to snicker, "That trip to St. Mungos wasn't too pleasant eh Avery?"

If looks could kill, Blaise would have dropped dead already, "Ah, my favorite trolls have arrived, finally, I was beginning to tire of your pet Adira." Blaise lifted his drink to his lips, completely ignoring Maximus's attempt to regain control over the conversation.

"Aren't you going to defend me? Your pathetic friends seem to think they can speak to me however they please, you shouldn't hang out with such vagrants Adira. I understand where your filthy manners come from now; you should be thankful I even give you the time of day with that attitude of yours."

Adira expected the verbal lashing, Maximus wasn't very nice when he was upset and he generally took it out on her by belittling her. "You're father was right, you really don't have much going for you judging by the company you keep, you're absolutely worthless."

Clara slammed her hand on he table, gaining the attention of several eyes from surrounding booths, "Excuse me?" she hissed, the blush returning to her cheeks except now with anger, "How dare you."

Blaise leaned back in his seat, arms crossed with his hand at the ready should he need his wand. His eyes went from Clara who looked ready to rip Maximus's head off, to Theo and Warren who seemed to have the same idea as Blaise and finally to Adira, who looked like she was trying very hard to control her emotions, but that stray tear she quickly wiped away was evidence enough that Maximus's words had hurt.

As much as she hated the man, the fact that he had such a low opinion of her hurt. Her own father believed her to be a waste of space and unworthy and he had communicated that to her boyfriend of all people. It's like he'd rather have him as a son than she as his daughter. Adira honestly couldn't believe she was getting so upset over something her father had said. Her father was an awful man, immoral, cruel, a criminal, and here she was shedding a tear over his opinion of her.

Adira liked to think she was strong, and brave; but if that were true she would have been placed in Gryffindor, not Slytherin. She wasn't brave, not by a long shot, but she was cunning, and smart and if pug face Pansy had the audacity to speak to her the way Maximus just did, she would have her eating her meals from a dog bowl and barking like the annoying little dog she was.

As Clara continued to scream at Maximus, the whole pub's attention practically on them, Adira numbly reached for Maximus's half empty glass of butterbeer. Blaise caught her eye as she quietly dumped the contents of the glass atop Maximus's head, causing him to shut his mouth mid sentence.

"You filthy little blood traitor."

The slap seemed to echo throughout the room. Adira hadn't been expecting such a quick retaliation and she didn't couldn't believe what had just happened if it weren't for the sharp sting slowly turning to a throb on the left side of her face. Rage and disgust pumped through her veins and her fingers twitched around her wand.

"Well, Mr. Avery, I believe a trip to the headmaster is in order. I'll be reporting this to your Head of House." Professor Slughorn stood up from the bar stool he was perched upon, his pint sloshing messily upon the floor.

"I suggest you take Ms. Reed to the infirmary my dear boy," Professor Slughorn clearly spoke to Blaise, who stood up quickly, pulling Clara and Adira up along with him.

"I– " Maximus feigned shock at his own actions, but Adira saw the look in his eyes after he hit her. He liked it, he had no remorse, she was certain if there weren't so many people watching the exchange, he would have slapped her again, or perhaps something much worse.

"Come on Adira, let's go." Clara urged, placing her soft hand on top of Adira's, coaxing her to let go of her wand and put it away. They were lucky Slughorn was there because if he wasn't, Adira wasn't sure what she would do.

In that moment she had never been so frightened in her life. She wasn't scared of Maximus, oh no, he was an insignificant piece of garbage for what he had done and said to her. Adira was frightened of herself and the thoughts that sprung to mind as soon as he laid a hand on her. She had felt a cold calm take over her body, an icy rage that seemed to prick her skin, begging for her to pick up her wand and say the word. Crucio.

She would have done it, in front of everyone without thought if Professor Slughorn hadn't intervened. Without question she was ready to cast the curse and a small part of her felt anger towards Professor Slughorn for stepping in before she got her chance to humiliate Maximus, have him crawling on his knees begging her to stop.

She was thankful to be out in the cold frigid air, her thoughts were dizzyingly dark and she needed to be brought back to reality. She was not a bad person; she wasn't like her father who got off on hurting people. Blaise and Clara flanked her, their arms linked with hers as they trudged back to the castle. After Madame Pomfrey treated her face with a healing salve and a tonic for her nerves, Adira was released.

Blaise and Clara had sat with her quietly, waiting for Adira to be discharged from Madame Pomfrey's care. Adira felt exhausted, emotionally and physically, "I wanted to torture him to death."

Adira mumbled, her honey eyes downcast and full of shame, "Am I just like my father if I admit that I wanted to hurt him?"

Blaise sighed, pulling Adira off the cot she was sitting on and threw her jacket at her, "He would have deserved it Adira, don't throw yourself a pity party. The bloke back handed you so hard I think the whole school will be talking about it by the end of the day."

Clara smacked Blaise's shoulder, "You can be a little more sensitive you know."

Scoffing, Blaise countered, "She's a big girl Clara, she doesn't need things sugar coated."

"Well, at least it's a pretty valid reason to break up with him." Adira chuckled, easing the tension that had grown between the three of them. "I'm sure you'd have me hanging by my toes if I said I was still planning to be with him."

Clara smirked, "You're damn right I would."

"Thank Merlin, you've finally come to your senses." Blaise rolled his eyes, "Better be careful Reed, I don't think Maximus is the type to let you go so easily."

Adira shrugged, the stinging in her cheek had finally faded to a soft throb thanks to the salve Madame Pomfrey treated her with, "He's just going to have to deal with it, my father be damned. He can say whatever he wants to my dad, it won't change the fact that he's a pig who hits women."

Adira would surely send a letter to her mother that night to inform her of what had happened and to be careful around Daniel should word get to him about the incident in Hogsmeade. Although Adira knew there would be consequences, she just hoped her mother would understand and take a spontaneous trip with Narcissa to Paris until things cooled down around the house.

"I would have picked a fight with him earlier if that meant you'd break up with him. He was saying some pretty vulgar things about you and Draco that I know are not true. Both of you are such adorable little prudes." Blaise smirked, "I have to say though, pouring his drink over his head was priceless. I'll never forget the look on his face!"

Adira frowned; Maximus was such a jealous prick. She and Draco had never gone further than snogging and maybe some awkward first time fondling. She was more reserved with Draco than she had been with Maximus, something she was beginning to regret.

"The look of pure rage and hate you mean?" Adira only remembered his face when they arrived at the pub and after he hit her, she seemed to have blacked out the moment he insulted her worth and her friends.

"No," Clara laughed, "The look of pure embarrassment. He was absolutely mortified you spilled his drink on him in front of his friends and all those people. It was bloody brilliant."

"Yeah until he hit you, then it was just shameful. I hope he's booted off the Quidditch team." Blaise looked absolutely gleeful at the thought, but Adira felt the complete opposite. If he were kicked off the team, he'd have more time to torment and harass her; he already no doubt was banned from the 'Slug Club' after Professor Slughorn witnessed what he did. He'd have no trouble finding the time to corner Adira and demand payback for what he inevitably thought was all her fault.

Adira expressed her fear to her friends who assured her they would keep an eye on her as much as they could. She wondered briefly what Draco would do if he had been in Hogsmeade. Would he come to her defense, or would he ignore her as he had been doing since that day in the library?

The whole point of going into town today was to catch Draco and finally get to the bottom of things. Blaise hadn't seen him, neither had Theo apparently. The trip into Hogsmeade had been a negative experience, except for time spent with Clara and all the chocolates they now had in their possession. But what Adira wanted more than anything was to see and be with Draco.

Where the bloody hell was he?


	5. Trolls on the Seventh Floor

Hello, lovelies! Here is the 5th chapter. I hope you enjoy, feel free to review or comment, it's totally up to you. Thanks for the follows and the favorites and the reviews, it means so much to me to get your feedback! xxx S

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Chapter 5

Either Adira was incredibly lucky or Hogwarts was slowly turning to hell because not one word was spoken about the incident between herself and Maximus in Hogsmeade the next day because Katie Bell had been cursed.

The rumor mill that was Hogwarts spread the word all over the school that she had been cursed but the stories seemed to change depending on what group was overheard speaking in the corridors or whispering between classes after lunch. The story supposedly was that someone had tried to kill her, maybe sabotage the chances of Gryffindor winning the first Quidditch match of the year against Slytherin. But Adira knew if that were true, whomever that did the cursing would have gone after Gryffindor's golden boy, Harry Potter.

It also didn't make any sense that anyone would want to kill Katie because she was relatively harmless. She was a wicked duelist from what she saw during her short time with the DA last year, but that wasn't reason enough to attempt to kill her. Adira couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she had been cursed and almost died. Hogwarts was supposed to be safe, or at least safer than what was going on outside the prestigious school. The students were under Dumbledore's protection, this was as safe as it could get. So hearing that a student was cursed during an outing at Hogsmeade made Adira feel very uneasy.

She thanked Merlin Draco hadn't been in town, she knew that Harry and his little crew already suspected Draco was up to no good. She had heard Harry whispering rather loudly the next morning after the incident that he knew Draco was the culprit and that he was doing the Dark Lord's bidding. If Adira hadn't been avoiding Maximus like the plague, she would have given Harry a piece of her mind; alas Clara and Blaise swooped her away just in time, keeping Maximus at bay. That was a few days ago.

Maximus still looked livid anytime she saw him, Adira was certain he was dying to get her back for embarrassing him the way she did in front of all his friends. Adira felt sick, she wasn't sure if it was because of Maximus, or because of Draco. Sooner or later that elusive blonde had to show up to classes or at least talk to her if he did; she didn't like it one bit that Draco had begun to slack off in his studies. She could count on both her hands how many times Snape or McGonagall had given him detention and they weren't even halfway through the first term. He never besmirched his academics; he was always prepared and ready to rub it into everyone's face how clever he was.

When he had shown up to Defense and not said a word to her, a part of her wondered if he even knew what happened at Hogsemeade the past week. Would he even care? As the class came to an end, Adira packed her things and walked behind a chattering Blaise and Clara out of the classroom, following them towards Potions.

Strong hands grasped her elbow, squeezing a little too tight and yanking her backward, "Hello, darling." Maximus feigned a smile, but Adira could see the anger burning in his deep blue eyes. Anyone passing by them would think they were having a casual conversation as couples do since she hadn't gone about publicly breaking up with him yet. With their arms linked it looked like they were walking to class. Maximus was smart in the way he held her, making sure no one would be the wiser.

"A little stupid of you to dilly dally behind your watch dogs hmm?" He spoke lowly, shoving her a little forward and towards a different hallway, "They aren't very good at keeping an eye on you are they?"

Maximus had a point, Clara and Blaise had kept vigilant for a week or so but when it came to walking to and from classes they all shared, their attention seemed to be mostly on each other. Adira didn't blame them; she didn't think Maximus would have the gall to harass her between classes when there were so many people who could witness the interaction. But Maximus was just as sly as any Slytherin and incredibly intelligent to boot.

But Adira was actually sorted into the esteemed house of Slytherin and therefore one step ahead of him. When Maximus grabbed her she had discreetly slipped her wand up her sleeve. Maximus cornered her near an alcove by the stairs opposite to the dungeons, knowing very well that should a student pass them by it would look like they were just another couple trying to share a private moment before class.

"You'll regret that show of yours in town. Because of you, Slughorn banned me from his club and I've been put on probation until further notice on the Quidditch team." He spat, invading Adira's personal space and getting far too close for comfort.

Adira smirked despite her uneasiness, "Nothing less than you deserve." Her heart was in her throat, she knew she was in a dangerous position but she couldn't help goading him. Maximus had hit her and now he was threatening her for something he had coming for being such an asshole to her and her friends.

Maximus sneered, leaning towards Adira's face breathing rather heavily like an enraged wild animal. As he attempted to intimidate her, Adira slipped her wand out of its hiding place and held it tightly in her hand. If Maximus came any closer to her body, he would surely feel the tip of her wand. Maximus pulled out his own wand jabbing it into her side, but as he did so, Adira's wand pressed into his abdomen. The hatred in his dark eyes was very clear, but so was his surprise that Adira had beaten him to the punch.

However, before Adira could cast a jinx, Draco's voice interrupted them, "Didn't mummy and daddy teach you some manners, Avery?" Draco's wand was pointed directly at Maximus, the large sleeves of the school cloak hiding it relatively well from students passing the hall. Adira couldn't believe that Draco had been the only person to even notice the altercation; either the students were minding their own business when it came to Adira and Maximus, or they were so wrapped up in their own affairs to even care.

Adira knew class would start any minute because less and less students loitered the main hall adjacent to where she, Maximus, and Draco stood, which meant fewer students to witness a fight if it came down to it. "Oh, that's right, your family is full of inbred hacks who married into their name and wealth. Of course you wouldn't have any manners, otherwise, you would know a gentleman never threatens a lady."

Maximus stepped away from Adira, giving her the opportunity to scurry towards Draco. Adira was thankful that Draco had intervened but also slightly disappointed she wasn't able to put Maximus in his place. At least Draco had given her a diversion to get away from Maximus's slimy fingers.

"I don't see any ladies around here, just a trollop and her keeper." Maximus laughed sinisterly, his eyes darting back and forth between Adira and Draco, his hand still gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Adira hoped he would snap it in half.

Draco scoffed, tucking his wand back into his robes completely unfazed by the older boy, "That the best you can do? I thought Ravenclaw's were supposed to be clever, not dim witted. Your insults need some work Avery, best be on your way." The chimes indicating class had begun rang through the halls.

Adira knew Maximus had class at this time and wouldn't dare miss it for anything; in that sense, he really was a Ravenclaw. "I'm not done with you." He hissed at Adira who had tucked her wand back into her robe pocket too.

"Yeah, well I'm done with _you_. It's over Maximus, you don't deserve me."

Maximus stiffly replied, his voice dripping with disdain, "We'll see about that darling, I wonder what your daddy dearest will say."

Maximus adjusted his robes before walking past Adira and Draco, bumping into Draco's shoulder's roughly as he went by, "Better watch your back, Malfoy."

"I think I'm alright, mate, cheers." Draco chuckled, watching the seething older boy storm away.

Without a word, Draco too spun on his heels, a resolved look upon his thin face. "Wait!" Adira called out towards his retreating back, "Aren't you coming to class?"

Draco stood still in the deserted hallway with his back still turned towards Adira. For a moment, Adira thought Draco was about to spin around and come back to her. Disappointingly, however, Draco continued walking down the hall and up the stairs, disappearing from sight.

"Rude," Adira huffed indignantly; Draco was missing _another_ potions class. He could have at the very least told Adira she was stupid for dating a bloke like Maximus, or even asked if she was okay. But no, he just ignored her after telling Maximus off and then decided to ditch class to go do whatever sketchy thing he was up to.

"Bloody hell," Adira quickly cast a charm to silence the sound of her feet and followed Draco as stealthily as she could. She prayed the paintings along the walls wouldn't out her position as she climbed the grand staircase nearly losing him when it decided to switch its direction from the seventh floor to the fifth.

Of course, the castle wouldn't make it easy for Adira to spy on Draco and figure out what he was up to. When she finally did make it to the seventh floor, shushing a painting before its occupants could reprimand her for not being in class, Draco was nowhere to be found.

Adira hadn't been too far behind him, and the seventh-floor corridor would inevitably lead to the Gryffindor common room. Adira knew Draco couldn't be heading towards there, so where the bloody hell did he go? Adira felt like her inner thoughts were sounding like a broken record. She was constantly asking where the hell Draco was, what he was doing, and whom he could be with.

Adira slinked through the hall, looking for any sign of the Slytherin Prince. Before she could reach the gaudy tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls how to ballet dance, Adira saw what appeared to be two rather oddly placed second-year girls loitering in the hallway. Quickly, Adira hid behind a column, peeking her head around the corner to get a better look at the two girls.

Then it hit her, the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy was right across from the Room of Requirements. The pathway was familiar and Adira was hit with a sense of nostalgia. She had done this before; the sneaking around and the secrets she kept from her friends all on the seventh-floor corridor. Adira had so many questions, mostly why in the world were two second years standing in front of the door unless they were actually there protecting it, or protecting whoever was inside.

Adira couldn't believe it; there was no possible way Draco had managed to pull something like this off. Who would be dumb enough to do whatever Draco said, like taking a polyjuice potion and turning into two girls? Crabbe, and Goyle, otherwise known as tweedle dumb and tweedle dim definitely fit the bill. But Adira had her doubts, she wasn't sure if it was actually them. She poked her head around the corner once more when she heard the two girls arguing about something.

Adira frowned as she noticed something else rather peculiar. Why would these girls be holding potions scales in the middle of the hallway in front of a tapestry across from the Room of Requirements? Something was not adding up here, and Adira had a feeling Crabbe and Goyle were some how involved in whatever Draco was doing. But she wasn't sure if what her intuition was screaming at her could be true. Was Draco ditching class for something in the Room of Requirements, or was he perhaps meeting _someone_ in there?

Adira's stomach twisted uncomfortably, was he in there with some girl, or _Pansy_? The very thought made Adira burn with a jealous rage from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. The idea would be rational if she hadn't consistently seen Pansy in class when Draco wasn't. But Adira wasn't thinking very rationally; she had just come to the conclusion she was in love with the idiot and now there was a possibility he was sneaking around with some girl!

As she crept through the halls back towards the dungeons, Adira decided to wait Draco out no matter how long it took. She had to know what he was doing in the Room of Requirements. Students didn't just go in there for anything; in fact, most students didn't even know where it was or what it was for. Draco wouldn't be daft enough to take a girl up there when there were so many other obscure and equally private areas throughout the castle. She would know since Maximus had dragged her to most of them in hopes she would let him have his way with her.

As she sat in the empty common room by the crackling fire, Adira summoned her schoolbooks and decided if she was going to skip classes for the day, she might as well get some schoolwork done. By afternoon, Draco still hadn't come down to the common room and Adira was growing restless and bored.

The sound of the common room door opening pulled Adira's attention off of her parchment on Human Transfiguration and towards the entrance, "Excuse me!" Clara stomped her way towards Adira, "Since when did you start skipping class without telling me!" Clara huffed, grabbing a handful of Pepper Imps Adira had brought down when she realized she would be missing lunch.

Adira rolled her eyes, explaining to Clara what had happened after Defense and how she had followed Draco to the seventh floor. She was careful to leave out the Room of Requirements in case Clara didn't know and asked Adira too many questions. That would be a disaster and Adira knew Clara would be livid that she was lied to for half of fifth year about Adira's whereabouts. "Have you noticed Crabbe and Goyle haven't been in class at the same time as Draco?"

Clara shrugged, "I guess. But didn't one of them fail a class last year?"

"You skipped lunch Reed, I brought you food." Blaise had joined the girls without their notice and startled them. Adira forgave his stealthy intrusion when he handed her a sandwich wrapped in a napkin, "Crabbe and Goyle both failed Defense last year by the way."

Adira took the sandwich eagerly and took a large bite. With her mouth full she said, "That's grand and all, but that doesn't explain not seeing them in any of our other classes."

"Doesn't explain why Malfoy has been ditching classes either." Blaise countered with a disgusted look at Adira's temporary poor etiquette, his dark eyes narrowed as he watched the pretty girl devour her food like she was a ravenous lad after Quidditch practice, "That's why you've glued yourself to the couch isn't it."

Clara chimed in, sharing what happened earlier in the morning with Maximus and Draco and what Adira had seen on the seventh floor, "You think Crabbe and Goyle were the two second years you saw?"

As they discussed the idea further, Adira, Blaise, and Clara agreed that it was very likely that Crabbe and Goyle were in fact helping Draco. "I don't know what he could be doing up there but he sure as hell isn't snogging some girl in a dark corner."

Blaise seemed so sure, but Adira had her doubts, "And how would you know that? He's never around long enough for anyone to talk to him."

"Which is exactly why he wouldn't be sneaking around with a girl. Besides, everyone knows he's in love with you."

Clara giggled watching her best friend blush, "See, I told you so. It's so obvious to everyone except for you two."

Adira huffed if he were in love with her then why had he been ignoring her since the end of their fifth year? Whatever was going on, Adira had a terrible feeling that it had something to do with whatever was in the Room of Requirements.

Blaise and Clara stuck around for a bit longer before heading off to the last class of the day, wishing Adira luck on her investigation. She was happy neither one of them had scolded her for doing something so crazy and impulsive or asked her what she knew about the seventh floor. But Adira had a feeling Blaise was already aware of the Room of Requirements; it seemed he may have already guessed Crabbe and Goyle were involved in Draco's plans. She wondered if this is what Harry Potter felt like when he got himself into trouble or made a rash decision to do something stupid with Ron and Hermione not far behind.

An hour before dinner, the door to the common room creaked open, the distinct sound of Crabbe and Goyle complaining catching Adira's attention. Behind the two blubbering idiots was Draco, a dark and brooding expression on his gaunt face.

Upon seeing Adira, the boys grew quiet and Draco finally noticed they were not alone in the common room. "You go on ahead." Draco nodded to Crabbe and Goyle who continued on without Draco to the boy's dormitory. They stared hard at one another, Draco's cold gaze pierced into Adira's burning amber eyes. Draco was a mess. His hair was tousled as if he had run his finger's through the silvery blonde locks roughly. His tie hung loosely around his neck and the collar of his shirt was uneven. He had shed his school robe and it was clear he had thrown on his button up without a care that it had probably been laying on the ground given all the wrinkles. He looked drastically different than he had that morning, a lot less cool and collected.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" his voice was hoarse as if he had been screaming for hours on end.

"You're the last person who gets to lecture me about being in class. _You_ should be in class Draco," Adira was livid as she watched Draco tiredly sit across from her on the plush couch, "I'm not stupid Draco I know something is wrong, I know something isn't right here."

Draco didn't say anything as Adira continued to ramble on, yelling at him for getting detention, for slacking off, for not eating right or sleeping enough. "You show up out of the blue and stick up for me like you care and then the next minute you act as if I don't exist. What happened to you Draco? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because it's better this way Adira." Draco snapped, "It's better for you to stay away from me. I'm fine, I'm not a naïve child and I don't need you mothering me."

Adira's frown deepened, "You really think Crabbe and Goyle have your best interest Draco? You think they can help you with whatever it is you're doing in the Room of Requirements?"

Adira watched the little color in Draco's face drain, his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes that were so cold and devoid of emotion filled with uncertainty and fear. "Oh yeah, I know all about that. Did you think I wouldn't eventually figure it out?"

Draco's glare hardened once more as he leaned his elbows upon his knees his tense fingers clasped together as if trying to hide the subtle tremble in his hands, "And what exactly do you think you know? You think you're so clever; you caught me going to the Room of Requirements? You know what that room is for, you think about what you want, what you _need_ and the door appears. I don't _need_ you anymore Adira, I've found something else to satisfy me."

The words slipped from his mouth like the hiss of a snake. Draco had hoped that by planting the idea that he was sneaking around with someone else would make Adira leave him alone, make her stop asking questions, stop trying to look out for him. But it didn't, it just made Adira even angrier than she was before. "Don't make me laugh Draco. The only action you're getting is from Crabbe and Goyle disguised as girls to stand watch for you. You can't fool me Draco and how dare you stoop so low to get rid of me. _I'm not going anywhere_." Adira took a shot in the dark with Crabbe and Goyle, but from Draco's reaction, she had guessed correctly.

Draco stood up quickly and cursed, Adira watching him run his fingers roughly through his hair tousling it even more. "If you don't tell me what you are doing in there Draco, I'll find out. It's only a matter of time. Crabbe and Goyle aren't the brightest, you know it won't be hard to get past them while you're in that room."

Draco knew Adira was serious and she would not let this go. That was something he admired about her, she was resilient albeit stubborn. A part of him felt dread that she had almost figured him out whilst the other part of him hoped that she would. If anything it could actually get her to leave him alone, or it could back fire completely and she would try to help him. He prayed it would be the latter, he didn't tell her what happened over the summer because he wanted to protect her. He had a job to do and he would do it to protect his family and to protect her.

When he had heard that Maximus had hit her at Hogsmeade it had taken all of Draco's willpower to not make a scene and get involved. He couldn't afford to lose focus, no matter how badly he wanted to punch Maximus in the face and curse him to oblivion. Draco wasn't sure how much more strength he had to push Adira away. He thought he had been doing a rather good job at it up until now. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop Adira once she had made up her mind and it was clear she wouldn't back down.

"You know I can't tell you anything." Draco softly said as if he had given in. Adira's heart fluttered, she couldn't believe he wasn't resisting her more. Whatever was happening it had taken a toll on Draco more than he probably knew. Adira was ready to fight him on the issue; she had her arguments all planned out considering she had several hours to think about what she would say to him when she finally got him alone. Draco knew how to manipulate people and say things that were unforgiving and hurtful. It was like he hadn't even tried like he subconsciously didn't really want to put up a fight.

"You know I won't stop until I figure it out myself." Adira replied, her voice as gentle as Draco's had been. She approached Draco tentatively; her finger's reached up and smoothed over his furrowed brow. Draco sighed, closing his eyes in what felt like defeat, relaxing slightly under Adira's warm touch as she traced his jutting cheekbones. He knew he looked awful; he couldn't sleep most nights because of the nightmares he had of the Dark Lord torturing his family until they died. On nights he dreamed of Adira he would wake up feeling sick to his stomach with a resolve to fix the damn cabinet even more.

He knew he wasn't taking care of himself, but what other choice did he have? It was either fix the cabinet or try to kill Dumbledore himself. Fate seemed to have other ideas however, like when Katie had touched the necklace before she could deliver it to the Headmaster. He felt awful that he had almost killed her; it had never been his intention to hurt a student. He didn't even want to kill Dumbledore to tell the truth, but it was either him or everyone he loved. Draco couldn't live in a world without his family and he especially wouldn't know what to do with himself without Adira. He would rather kill Dumbledore than watch her die.

He leaned into her touch as she combed his hair into place, scratching his scalp lightly as she did. The feeling of her fingers against the nape of his neck elicited a pleasant chill down his spine as she worked her way to the collar of his shirt and adjusted his tie. When he finally opened his eyes, Adira was staring intently at him; searching his face for an answer he would never be able to give her. He so badly wanted to kiss her, he wondered if she still felt the same about him as he did her. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle had to interrupt the moment, their heavy footsteps indicating their arrival. Adira stepped back watching Draco sag forward at the loss of contact.

As Crabbe and Goyle called out to Draco, his demeanor returned to the hard ice it had been when he had first seen Adira waiting for him. He stood upright and proud, a grim smirk on his face as he nodded to the beautiful curly haired girl in front of him who looked back with a sad smile of her own. He followed the two bumbling idiots out of the common room without a glance back. Adira watched him go, determined to find out what he was up to and perhaps help him in any way she could. But first, she had to figure out how to get past idiot one and idiot two.


	6. Curiosity Never Killed the Cat

Hello my angels, I'm back. I told y'all I wouldn't give up on this story. I know it's been ages, please forgive me. xoxo S.

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Chapter 6

"I seriously hate them. You would think it would be easy to get around two oafs like Crabbe and Goyle but they are so bloody wide!" Adira had to shove her way through the two large boys when they refused to allow her room to get to the table for breakfast.

Blaise snorted, practically choking on his pumpkin juice, "They make decent beaters I'll give them that."

The first Quidditch match of the year was Slytherin against Gryffindor and it was sure to be a riot given this years tension amongst the players. The match was just hours away and the excitement in the air was palpable. Adira briefly wondered if Draco would even be able to hold himself up on a broom let alone play given how little he had been practicing and taking care of himself. Adira had caught Draco late at night returning from the seventh floor a few times and made sure he ate something she had saved him from dinner but she knew it wasn't enough.

Adira also suspected Crabbe and Goyle were getting fed up with helping Draco considering they had been arguing more and seemed rather aggravated most days she saw them. Not that Draco seemed to care and Crabbe and Goyle picked up on that. It was only a matter of time before they would give up on helping him.

"Speaking of Quidditch," Theo interjected, grabbing a piece of toast and buttering it excessively, "Did you hear Malfoy isn't playing?"

"What!" Pansy's voice shrieked a few seats down. Adira wondered how she had even heard Theo with all the chatter in the Great Hall that morning.

"Don't get your panties in a twist Parkinson." Blaise dismissed her with a wave of his hand but of course, that would never stop Pansy and her incessant babbling about her Drakie-poo.

"He _has_ to play, he's the best shot we have at beating Gryffindor. He's the Seeker for Merlin's sake!" Pansy looked like she was about to combust and when she set her far set eyes on Adira, a new hue of red covered her cheeks, "You!" she pointed at Adira, "What did you _do_?"

Adira scoffed, wishing Clara would finally show up to breakfast to witness the altercation. It had been a while since Adira and Pansy had a go at each other, it was one of Clara's favorite pastimes. "Why do you assume I have anything to do with it? I'm flattered that you would think I have any control over Draco's affairs."

"Oh please, Reed. You're not that special. I heard Maximus dumped you because you're pathetic and unable to satisfy your man and that's the same reason why Draco left you too." Pansy had a wide grin on her face as if she had hit Adira where it really hurt. But Adira wasn't so gullible and quick to take Pansy's bait. Adira knew Maximus was a piece of shit and had likely spread rumors about why they had split up and painted Adira as the villain. But whoever had witnessed the slap knew better and her friends would back her up if anyone asked. Maximus had done a poor job at making Adira's life hell considering he publicly embarrassed himself and a Professor had witnessed the incident too.

Adira smiled prettily, by now a small crowd of Slytherins had formed around them awaiting a verbal spar between the two girls, "It's okay Parkinson," Adira's voice was slick like oil, ready to ignite Pansy on fire, "I know you're jealous that I attract the most eligible lads in Hogwarts, it's not your fault that you look and sound like Doxy. A bit of advice," Adira smiled sweetly at Pansy whose face had gone a lovely tomato red, "insults don't stick when they are a reflection of your own sad insecurities. Have you even kissed a boy yet, Parkinson?"

A collection of laughter and hisses filled the air as Pansy sputtered a weak response only to be shooed away by Blaise and Theo. Eventually, people stopped paying attention to her causing her to grab her two friends and rush out of the Great Hall with contempt. Clara had finally joined Adira and Blaise and witnessed the end of the spat between the two sixth years, "Another year putting Parkinson in her place," Clara laughed, "I was beginning to think the feud between you was over, and that, my friend, would be very sad indeed."

Blaise, Adira, and Theo rolled their eyes before continuing their discussion about how Draco wouldn't play and someone would take his spot as Seeker. For Adira, this was the perfect time to see what Draco was doing in the Room of Requirements. Crabbe and Goyle would no doubt play, they were dressed in their Quidditch gear and Theo had confirmed it, which meant Draco would be in the room alone and without his stupid bodyguards.

Adira had gone into the room when Draco and his posse left for short breaks. The room itself when she asked it to show her what and whom she was seeking was filled with an odd collection of antique and modern things. There were dusty carpets that looked miles long rolled and stacked against pillars, enough books to fill the Hogwarts library at least a dozen times, tables covered in grime and scratches, jewelry that shimmered even in the dark, and moth-eaten silk settees that were once glorious and beautiful but now dull and dirty. She even found several Fanged Frisbees thrown haphazardly on top of leaning shelves, rotting ladders, and wedged in between the legs of chairs thrown together in mounds. Adira wondered if this is where Draco was really coming to and what was buried in all that junk that could be of such importance to him.

By now, Adira suspected Harry Potter wasn't far off in his prediction that Draco was a Death Eater. Adira wished it wasn't true and she wouldn't believe it otherwise until she saw the mark for her self, but she was beginning to grow suspicious. Draco kept implying that he had a job to do, that it was important, that it was his task and his burden alone. All it pointed to was the Dark Lord had told him to do something and he had no choice but to do it. After the incident at the Ministry, it was likely that Lucius was being punished through Draco. Adira knew how it worked amongst the Death Eaters; she grew up with them after all. Family was an important value they all learned and shared as purebloods, it was their biggest strength but also their biggest weakness and the Dark Lord knew how to get his followers to obey should they stray a little from his agenda.

It broke her heart to think that they had gotten to Draco over the summer, but it was the only thing that made sense to her. Adira knew he didn't have a choice just like she knew she wouldn't have a choice either. If her father decided she should be initiated if the Dark Lord decided she should become one of his loyal followers for whatever nefarious reason, Adira wouldn't be able to say no. She could either accept her fate or see everyone she ever cared for tortured to death. Adira wasn't brave, she wasn't selfless; she was resourceful and occasionally self-serving. She would rather join the Death Eaters who stood for everything she abhorred than see her friends and family destroyed by them.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, I just need to grab something from the common room." Adira stood up with everyone else as they headed out of the Great Hall to the Quidditch pitch. Clara and Blaise both gave her a confused glance before shrugging their shoulders and allowing Adira to part ways even though she gave them a rather lame excuse. Adira knew they could see through her but was grateful all the same when they didn't bother to question why she didn't head down to the common room at all and instead headed up the stairs.

She had to admit, it was rather smart of him to go into the Room without Crabbe and Goyle on watch during a Quidditch match. No one ever missed a game unless they had detention or had no school spirit, which was usually unlikely. Not to mention Harry Potter would absolutely not show up sniffing around the 7th-floor corridor because he was the bloody seeker. What Draco didn't take into account was Adira being curious enough and sly enough to not go to a house match and finally see what he was up to.

As she suspected, the hallway was quiet save for the light rumble of the Quidditch game that just started. She thought intently with all her might on Draco and his whereabouts in the room until a door emerged from the wall. Knots formed in her stomach as she realized that this was it, she would finally get a peek at what Draco was doing. For a moment she wondered if she was prepared for the worst, but shoving her trepidation aside Adira opened the door and stepped into the room.

The door shut silently behind her and she was once again awed by the sheer magnitude of the Room of Requirements. She began her hunt for Draco, using her senses to hear him or catch the glimmer of his platinum hair in the dim light. Following the sound of a frustrated groan, Adira weaved her way further into the room until she spotted him standing in front of a large wardrobe like cabinet. His eyes were shut tight and he was muttering something under his breath with his pale hands pressed against the doors of the cabinet.

Draco's eyes snapped open when he heard something shift to his left and he spun towards the person with his wand raised and a spell on his lips. Upon noticing it was Adira his body relaxed slightly; he still held his wand tightly in his hand lowered at his side. "What are you doing here, there's a match going on." His eyes were cold and guarded once again and Adira guffawed.

"You're seriously telling me there's a match going on when you're the one who's supposed to be playing?" Adira crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him, "Put your wand away, no one followed me here and I highly doubt anyone will miss a game just to spy on you."

"Yeah, except you." Draco retorted, tucking his wand back into his pocket. Adira noted how his eyes were still bruised from lack of sleep and he looked ready to collapse. She procured her wand and silently pulled a dusty moth ridden settee towards them demanding Draco sit for a moment before he keeled over.

Draco looked like he was about to protest but upon seeing the determined and hard look on Adira's face, Draco thought twice about denying her. His body ached and he cast a spell to clear the dust from the couch before he sat down but he did as he was told. Adira's honey eyes glanced from him back to the cabinet he was intently working on however the question remained on the tip of her tongue.

"It's a vanishing cabinet." Draco seemed to read her mind as he leaned back into the settee. Adira's frown deepened, why was he obsessing over a damn vanishing cabinet. Unless "Is there a pair?" She asked turning to face him fully now with her arms crossed and a look of worry painted on her tan face.

Draco nodded in return and a knot formed in the pit of Adira's stomach. Was this his task? A million thoughts raced through Adira's head – if there was a pair that meant whoever had the other cabinet would be able to step inside and enter Hogwarts through the Room of Requirements. For a moment, Adira thought she would be sick. It was smart, she had to admit, especially with it being right under everyone's noses.

A tense silence passed between them before Adira asked him if it worked. Draco closed his eyes and shook his head, "No," his voice dripped with irritation, "I can't seem to fix the bloody thing. I keep getting so close –" Draco's voice had wavered and Adira felt like she could cry. Draco was hurting, he was scared and alone and he had been burdened with the task of fixing the vanishing cabinet. A task she knew would likely be nearly impossible if the Dark Lord gave it to him. She had a feeling the Dark Lord wanted Draco to fail so he could destroy him and his family. But if he succeeded in his task it could lead him and his family out of perdition and back into the Dark Lord's good graces.

"Is this your task? To fix this thing and let Death Eaters inside – let the Dark Lord inside?"

Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand, "It's part of it."

Finally, he opened his grey bloodshot eyes and watched Adira's expression grow still. She had put up that wall of hers and Draco wondered for a moment if this was it, if this was the moment she would leave him for good. Adira stepped forward and sat next to Draco, tucking one foot underneath her as she held her hand out towards him. For a moment, Draco was confused. That confusion evolved into dread when she reached for his left arm and hastily pulled his sleeve up before he could snatch his hand away from her.

The inky black mark seemed to have a life of its own as the painted snake slithered in and out of the mouth of a skull, twisting its body into a knot on Draco's left forearm. Instead of running out of the room as Draco thought she would, Adira's soft fingers traced the snake around towards its open mouth near Draco's wrist. He watched her thoughtful expression and the grim set of her full lips. His heart nearly stopped when she finally looked up at him with tears in her eyes but a determined resolute fire burning in their honey depths.

A soft sigh escaped Adira's lips before she leaned forward, cupping Draco's face between her hands and kissed him. Draco was shocked for only a moment before returning the kiss eagerly, letting all his pent up frustration and sorrow out. Adira's fingers ran through his soft hair as she breathed him in and Draco quickly pulled her on top of his lap where his hands roamed underneath her forest green turtle neck sweater. He caressed her back sending shivers of pleasure down her spine and Adira practically moaned into his mouth when he took her lips between his teeth and lightly pulled.

She kissed him like she had wanted to the moment he walked into her billiards room over the summer. She poured her own anxieties and anger into that kiss, the wanting, the loneliness, the love. She needed him to understand that the ugly mark marring his skin wouldn't scare her way. She wouldn't abandon him; she couldn't abandon him. She pulled away from him slightly only to have him lean forward to capture her lips once more only gently this time. He forgot how much he loved holding her, how much he loved kissing her and just being in her presence. Adira smiled against his lips as they finally pulled apart and he breathed, "Merlin, I've missed you."

His eyes, although still bloodshot and tired, looked up at her with hope and a lightness she hadn't seen in a long time. "I told you Draco, I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
